Silsesquioxane (SQ) cages or polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSS) are classified as organic−inorganic hybrid materials with the general formula of [RSiO<sub>3/2</sub>]<sub>n</sub> (with R as alkyl, aryl, allylene groups). Herein, this report probes the effects of nucleophilicity/basicity toward a rearrangement of SQ cages during substitution reactions. Moreover, SQs are also of particular interest in a wide-range of applications (e.g. catalysis, electronics, nanocomposites, etc.). Because SQ cages bearing organic functional groups (e.g. alkyl, aryl, imidazolium cations, alkyl sulfonic acids) that can be directly applied in catalysis for asymmetric synthesis, alcohol oxidation, carbon−carbon coupling reactions, ring-opening polymerization under both metal and metal-free systems. Meanwhile, SQ cages can be found to use as a host molecule or chemosensor for fluoride detection for the first time.

Silsesquioxane cages: Syntheses and applications

256th National Meeting (2018)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.