Radiation induced bonding of hexamethyldisiloxane to silica

An infrared technique was used to study the interfacial interaction between silica and hexamethyldisiloxane systems in the absence and presence of a radiation field. In the absence of the radiation, physisorbed hexamethyldisiloxane and higher molecular weight silicone compounds could be completely removed from the silica surface. In the irradiated samples, however, relatively large amounts of hexamethyldisiloxane were found to be chemisorbed on the surface. The evidence presented supports a radiation-induced chemical bonding of the products of the radiolysis of hexamethyldisiloxane to a silica surface at coverages of less than a monolayer.