Auner N., Weis J. (eds.) Organosilicon Chemistry I. From Molecules to Materials

Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH, Weinheim, Germany, 1994. – 370 p. – ISBN: 3-527-29061-3This contribution to the broad field of organosilicon chemistry including molecules and marerials, marks a very unusual anniversary, the existence of which eflectively contradicts a historical statement by the famous organosilicon pioneer F.S. Kipping, who believed 80 years ago that organosilicon chemistry would never gain industrial and commercial importance. Fijiy years ajter the invention of the Miiller-Rochow process, the silicon industry achieved an annual worldwide turnover of US$ 4.700.000.000. This proves impressively that the basic process - independently developed by R. Miiller and E. G. Rochow in 1941/2 - can be considered to be the most important innovation for organosilicon research work in indwrry and university.
On the occasion of the 50th birthday of the "Direct Synthesis", an organosilicon symposium was held in Munich. Though having been emeriti professors for many years, both pioneers of organosilicon chemistry participated in this symposium, still demonstrating their strong and vivid interest in recent results in thisJield of research, and rhus constiruting a notable highlight of the conference. For their outstanding contributions to organosilicon Chemistry, both scientisrs were honored by the conferment of the Wacker Silicon Award 1992.
"Munich Silicon Days '92" proved to be a very effective forum for the exchange of information between university scientists and those from indusrry, and a stimulus for more intense cooperation between them, enhancing the capability offinding solutions for still open problems in this specijic field of chemistry. During the course of the conference ir became evident that transitions from basic research work to industrial applications and vice versa are happening more and more; for instance, on the one hand many research scientists dealing originally wirh molecular organosilicon chemistry have undertaken a second research activity in material science, and on the other hand many marerial scientists are engaged in finding appropriate molecular precursors.
During the conference many participants asked us to publish the papers presented in a volume of proceedings in. order to enable those scientists who could not artend the symposium to have access to the information. As we are convinced that rhe results presenred reflect the most recent aspects of organosilicon chemistry, we have applied ourselves diligently to the rusk of editing this volume, and would like to thank all authors for their effective and encouraging support.
This conference was a well balanced mixture of plenary and invited lectures as well as poster contributions. They have been arranged in this volume under the following headings:
I. Tetravalent Organosilicon Compounds: Chemistry and Structure
II. Subvalent and Unsaturated Organosilicon Compounds: Formation and Reactivity
III. Hypervalent Organosilicon Compounds: Formation, Structure and Chemistry
IV. Organosilicon Metal Compounds: Coordination Chemistry and Catalysis
V. Silicon Polymers: Formation and Application