Hydrophobization of cotton fabrics was carried out with the use of bifunctional polysiloxanes with various contents of functional groups. Polysiloxanes contained in their structure groups capable of bonding to substrates (trialkoxysilyl or glycidyl ones) and fluoroalkyl groups showing surface activity. Two methods of surface modification were compared: (1) a one-step method via the chemical modification of fabrics with solutions of bifunctional polysiloxanes and (2) a two-step method—via preliminary modification of fabrics with silica sol followed by chemical modification with solutions of bifunctional polysiloxanes. The hydrophobicity was determined by measuring the water contact angle by drop profile tensiometry. Changes in the surface topography were examined by scanning electron microscopy. Superhydrophobic fabrics were obtained by a simple one-step method by the chemical modification in solutions of bifunctional polysiloxanes. The fabrics maintained their superhydrophobic properties even after multiple washings. The modification does not cause any changes visible to the naked eye, such as stiffening, color changes or a decrease in mechanical properties.

This mini-review briefly describes the recent progress in the design and development of catalysts based on the presence of ionic liquids. In particular, the focus was on heterogeneous systems (supported ionic liquid (IL) phase catalysts (SILPC), solid catalysts with ILs (SCILL), porous liquids), which due to the low amounts of ionic liquids needed for their production, eliminate basic problems observed in the case of the employment of ionic liquids in homogeneous systems, such as high price, high viscosity, and efficient isolation from post-reaction mixtures.

Ineffectiveness of the chemicals applied so far for waterlogged wood conservation created the need to develop new more, efficient and reliable agents. As an alternative, a new method with the use of organosilicon compounds differing in chemical composition and molecular weight has been investigated. The results obtained show the potential of organosilicons as consolidants in waterlogged wood conservation able to effectively stabilise wood dimensions upon drying. The best wood stabilisers were low-molecular organosilicons enable to penetrate the cell wall as well as chemicals with functional groups capable of interacting with wood polymers and forming stabilising coatings on the cell wall surface. The best anti-shrink efficiency values were obtained for (3-Mercaptopropyl)trimethoxysilane, (3-Aminopropyl)triethoxysilane, 1,3-Bis(3-aminopropyl)-1,1,3,3-tetramethyldisiloxane, reaching 98, 91 and 91%, respectively. Most of the applied organosilicons reduced wood hygroscopicity, which limits the risk of further dimensional changes of wood exposed to a variable air moisture content and potentially reduces wood biodegradation. In the light of our studies, the proposed method of waterlogged wood conservation with organosilicons is potentially reversible in the case of siloxanes and amino-silanes as well as retreatable, which complies with the requirements of the conservation ethics.

Epoxy functional (poly)siloxanes are one of the most important classes of modified silicones. Due to high reactivity of epoxy group and specific features of siloxane chain, they can make an excellent raw material for synthesis of hybrid materials. Results obtained in this study have shown that both the modification of epoxy resins with epoxy functional disiloxanes as well as the application of polysiloxanes with long polysiloxane chains and a specified content of epoxy groups makes it possible to produce hybrid materials of very good thermal stability. Crosslinking reactions were carried out with use of four diamines of which the best one appeared to be 4,4′-diaminodiphenylmethane. The highest thermal stability was found in the case of hybrid materials obtained from epoxy functional polysiloxanes.

Studies were performed on the catalytic activity for olefin hydrosilylation shown by three rhodium complexes, [{Rh(μ-OSiMe₃)(cod)}₂] (I), [{Rh(μ-Cl)(cod)}₂] (II) and [RhCl(PPh₃)₃] (III), and three platinum complexes, [Pt(PPh₃)₄] (IV), [Pt(PPh₃)₂Cl₂] (V) and PtCl₄ (VI), immobilized in a series of different anion-containing morpholinium ionic liquids. The effect of the kind of anion (its nucleophilic character) on the activity, stability and possibility of a catalytic system with multiple uses in the hydrosilylation process has been established. In the case of the best systems it was possible to reuse the same catalyst sample 10 times almost without any decrease in the activity and a TON value over 99 000 was obtained.

Four anionic rhodium complexes were synthesized using RhCl₃ as a precursor. All derivatives were isolated and characterized spectroscopically (NMR, ESI-MS). For one of them, [BMPip][RhCl₄], the crystallographic structure was determined. Additionally, their melting points and thermal stabilities were established. The obtained derivatives were used as catalysts for the hydrosilylation of two olefins with various properties. All tested catalysts were insoluble in the reaction medium, which permitted their easy isolation and repeated use in subsequent catalytic cycles. The most effective catalyst did not lose its activity, even after fifty cycles of hydrosilylation of octene using heptamethyltrisiloxane (HMTS).