Hydrosilylation of solution-polymerized styrene-butadiene rubber with triphenylsilane

Functionalized solution-polymerized styrene-butadiene rubber (SSBR) is widely applied in green tire because functional groups enhance interaction with filler to promote the dispersion. In this paper, functionalized SSBR is synthesized by the hydrosilylation of SSBR using triphenylsilane (TPS) and catalyst chloroplatinic acid. The influence of different reaction conditions on hydrosilylation of SSBR is investigated and kinetic mechanism is analyzed. Induction period is necessary for catalyst to form ligand compound with 1,2-butadiene units to generate the real catalytic active center. The reaction is zero order for TPS concentration and first order for catalyst concentration. The higher the temperature, the higher reaction rate of hydrosilylation. The activation energy of the reaction is determined to be 16.63 kJ/mol. These findings provide novel insights into the mechanism of hydrosilylation and the catalytic behavior of platinum-based systems in the functionalization of rubber.