Silanes are silicon chemicals possessing a hydrolytically sensitive center that can react with inorganic substrates (such as glass) to form stable covalent bonds and that possess an organic substitution which alters the physical interactions of treated substrates.
Property modifications include:
- Hydrophobicity
- Adhesion
- Release
- Dielectric
- Absorption
- Orientation
- Hydrophilicity
- Charge conduction
Applications include:
- Architectural coatings
- Water-repellents
- Anti-stiction coatings for MEMs
- Mineral surface treatments
- Fillers for composites
- Pigment dispersants
- Dielectric coatings
- Anti-fog coatings
- Release coatings
- Optical (LCD) coatings
- Bonded phases
- Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs)
- Crosslinkers for silicones
- Nanoparticle synthesis
- Anti-corrosion coatings
In contrast with silanes utilized as coupling agents in adhesive applications, silanes that are used to modify the surface energy or wettability of substrates under normal conditions do not impart chemical reactivity to the substrate. They are often referred to as non-functional silanes. The main classes of silanes utilized to effect surface energy modification without imparting reactivity are:
Hydrophobic Silanes
- Methyl
- Linear alkyl
- Branched alkyl
- Fluorinated alkyl
- Aryl
- Dipodal
Hydrophilic Silanes
- Polar
- Hydroxylic
- Ionic
- Charge inducible /charge switchable
- Embedded hydrophilicity
- Masked