Cyclometallated iridium(III) complexes with 2-phenylpyridine [Ir(ppy)₂(CNR)Cl] (ppy = (2-phenylpyridinato-C²,N), R = Xyl, Mes), [Ir(ppy)₂(CNR)₂](OTf) (R = Xyl, Mes), and fac-[Ir(ppy)₃] catalyse the cross-linking of polysiloxanes exclusively at temperatures above 100 °C leading to luminescent rubbers.

Rubber materials are the key components of flexible optoelectronic devices, especially for the light-emitting diodes based on arrays of inorganic nanowires (NWs). This paper reports on polydimethylsiloxane-graft-polystyrene (PDMS-St) as a new flexible substrate of GaP NW array structures. The NWs were encapsulated by the newly introduced G-coating method to substitute the inefficient mainstream spin-coating. To further exploit the flexibility and the stretchability of the NW/PDMS-St structures, the ferrocenyl-containing polymethylhydrosiloxane was synthesized and successfully used as an electrode for the NWs. In order to make an alternative highly efficient transparent electrode, a new application of conductive single-walled carbon nanotubes was demonstrated. The novel materials and methods demonstrated unsurpassed mechanical stability of the fabricated flexible electronic devices.

This review is dedicated to self-healing silicone materials, which can partially or entirely restore their original characteristics after mechanical or electrical damage is caused to them, such as formed (micro)cracks, scratches, and cuts. The concept of self-healing materials originated from biomaterials (living tissues) capable of self-healing and regeneration of their functions (plants, human skin and bones, etc.). Silicones are ones of the most promising polymer matrixes to create self-healing materials. Self-healing silicones allow an increase of the service life and durability of materials and devices based on them. In this review, we provide a critical analysis of the current existing types of self-healing silicone materials and their functional properties, which can be used in biomedicine, optoelectronics, nanotechnology, additive manufacturing, soft robotics, skin-inspired electronics, protection of surfaces, etc.

cis- and trans-Isomers of the platinum(II) nitrile complexes [PtCl₂(NCR)₂] (R = NMe₂, N(C₅H₁₀), Ph, CH₂Ph) were examined as catalysts for hydrosilylation cross-linking of vinyl-terminated polydimethylsiloxane and trimethylsilyl-terminated poly(dimethylsiloxane-co-ethylhydrosiloxane) producing high quality silicone rubbers. Among the tested platinum species the cis-complexes are much more active catalysts than their trans-congeners and for all studied platinum complexes cis-[PtCl₂(NCCH₂Ph)₂] exhibits the best catalytic activity (room temperature, c = 1.0 × 10⁻⁴ mol/L, τ_pot-life 60 min, τ_curing 6 h). Although cis-[PtCl₂(NCCH₂Ph)₂] is less active than the widely used Karstedt’s catalyst, its application for the cross-linking can be performed not only at room temperature (c = 1.0 × 10⁻⁴ mol/L), but also, more efficiently, at 80 °C (c = 1.0 × 10⁻⁴–1.0 × 10⁻⁵ mol/L) and it prevents adherence of the formed silicone rubbers to equipment. The usage of the cis- and trans-[PtCl₂(NCR)₂] complexes as the hydrosilylation catalysts do not require any inhibitors and, moreover, the complexes and their mixtures with vinyl- and trimethylsilyl terminated polysiloxanes are shelf-stable in air. Tested catalysts do not form colloid platinum particles after the cross-linking.

Polysiloxanes and materials based on them (silicone materials) are of great interest in optoelectronics due to their high flexibility, good film-forming ability, and optical transparency. According to the literature, polysiloxanes are suggested to be very promising in the field of optoelectronics and could be employed in the composition of liquid crystal devices, computer memory drives organic light emitting diodes (OLED), and organic photovoltaic devices, including dye synthesized solar cells (DSSC). Polysiloxanes are also a promising material for novel optoectronic devices, such as LEDs based on arrays of III–V nanowires (NWs). In this review, we analyze the currently existing types of silicone materials and their main properties, which are used in optoelectronic device development.