Hedgehog Buckyball: A High-Symmetry Complete Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxane (POSS)

In this study, we report UV-MALDI-TOF MS evidence of a fullerene-like silsesquioxane, a high-symmetry polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS or SSO) formulated as R(60)-Si(60)O(90) or T(60) (T = RSiO(1.5)). The T(60) preparation can be performed using a normal hydrolytic condensation of [(3-methacryloxy)propyl]trimethoxysilane (MPMS) as an example. Theoretically, four 3sp(3) hybrid orbitals (each containing an unpaired electron) of a Si atom are generated before the bond formation. Then it bonds to another four atom electrons using the four generated hybrid orbitals which produced a stable configuration. This fullerene-like silsesquioxane should exhibit much more functionality, activity and selectivity and is easier to assemble than the double bonds in a fullerene.