Silicones are a general category of synthetic polymers whose
backbone is made of repeating silicon to oxygen bonds. In
addition to their links to oxygen to form the polymeric chain,
the silicon atoms are also bonded to organic groups, typically
methyl groups. This is the basis for the name “silicones,” which
was assigned by Kipping based on their similarity with ketones,
because in most cases, there is on average one silicone atom
for one oxygen and two methyl groups (Kipping, 1904). Later,
as these materials and their applications flourished, more specific
nomenclature was developed. The basic repeating unit
became known as “siloxane” and the most common silicone is
polydimethylsiloxane, abbreviated as PDMS.