Disiloxane is a hydrogen-bearing silicon

Silicon

Silicon is a chemical element with the symbol Si and atomic number 14. A tetravalent metalloid, it is less reactive than its chemical analog carbon, the nonmetal directly above it in the periodic table, but more reactive than germanium, the metalloid directly below it in the table...

 compound with the formula H₃SiOSiH₃ analog to methyl ether in organic chemistry. It is the simplest silicon ether

Ether

Ethers are a class of organic compounds that contain an ether group — an oxygen atom connected to two alkyl or aryl groups — of general formula R–O–R'. A typical example is the solvent and anesthetic diethyl ether, commonly referred to simply as "ether"...

 and a colourless gas.

Production

Today, DSO is primarily produced by converting silane

Silane

Silane is a toxic, extremely flammable chemical compound with chemical formula SiH4. In 1857, the German chemists and Friedrich Woehler discovered silane among the products formed by the action of hydrochloric acid on aluminum silicide, which they had previously prepared...

 or silicon

Silicon

Silicon is a chemical element with the symbol Si and atomic number 14. A tetravalent metalloid, it is less reactive than its chemical analog carbon, the nonmetal directly above it in the periodic table, but more reactive than germanium, the metalloid directly below it in the table...

 via gasification to a mixture of silicon monoxide

Silicon monoxide

Silicon monoxide is the chemical compound with the formula SiO. In the vapour phase it is a diatomic molecule. It has been detected in stellar objects and it has been described as the most common oxide of silicon in the universe....

, and hydrogen

Hydrogen

Hydrogen is the chemical element with atomic number 1. It is represented by the symbol H. With an average atomic weight of , hydrogen is the lightest and most abundant chemical element, constituting roughly 75% of the Universe's chemical elemental mass. Stars in the main sequence are mainly...

. This mixture is then converted into DSO in the presence of a catalyst. As described, this is a one-step (direct synthesis) process that permits both silanol

Silanol

Silanol, also known as silyl alcohol, is a chemical with formula SiH3OH. It is the simplest silicon alcohol, and is a heavy, volatile, colorless, flammable liquid. At room temperature it is a polar liquid...

 synthesis and dehydration in the same process unit, with no silanol isolation and purification. Disiloxane reacts at low temperatures with aluminium halides to give the corresponding silyl and silylene

Silylene

Silylenes are chemical compounds containing a divalent silicon atom without any electrical charge. Both dicoordinate and tricoordinate silylenes are reported in the literature. They are considered to be heavier analogues of carbene. In earlier times, they were called silene, but this is a mistake,...

 halides and monosilane. Disiloxane is generally considered to be stable in water. It is more soluble than dimethyl ether

Dimethyl ether

Dimethyl ether , also known as methoxymethane, is the organic compound with the formula . The simplest ether, it is a colourless gas that is a useful precursor to other organic compounds and an aerosol propellant. When combusted, DME produces minimal soot and CO, though HC and NOx formation is...

. It hydrolyses

Hydrolysis

Hydrolysis is a chemical reaction during which molecules of water are split into hydrogen cations and hydroxide anions in the process of a chemical mechanism. It is the type of reaction that is used to break down certain polymers, especially those made by condensation polymerization...

 very slowly:

H₃SiOSiH₃ + 3 H₂O → 2 SiO₂ + 6 H₂

Alternatively disiloxane can be prepared in the lab according to the following reactions:

H₃SiX + H₂O → H₃SiOH + HX

2 H₃SiOH → H₃SiOSiH₃ + H₂O

Unlike dimethyl ether, it can be produced via autocondensation without a catalyst, as silanol is relatively unstable.