Hedgehog buckyball: A high-symmetry complete polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS)

Abstract

In this study, we report UV-MALDI-TOF MS evidence of a fullerene-like silsesquioxane, a high-symmetry polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS or SSO) formulated as R60-Si60O90 or T60 (T = RSiO1.5). The T60 preparation can be performed using a normal hydrolytic condensation of [(3-methacryloxy)propyl]trimethoxysilane (MPMS) as an example. Theoretically, four 3sp3 hybrid orbitals (each containing an unpaired electron) of a Si atom are generated before the bond formation. Then it bonds to another four atom electrons using the four generated hybrid orbitals which produced a stable configuration. This fullerene-like silsesquioxane should exhibit much more functionality, activity and selectivity and is easier to assemble than the double bonds in a fullerene.