Silicone grease: A serendipitous reagent for the synthesis of exotic molecular and supramolecular compounds

A review describing a series of (mostly accidental) intriguing reactions of silicone grease with various highly polar organometallic reagents is presented. The products are unusual and unexpected (sometimes supramolecular) compounds, incorporating various fragments of the parent polysiloxane chain, such as disiloxane or other oligosiloxane units, (OSiMe2)(n)O (n = 2, 3, etc.), dimethylsilanone Me2SiO, dimethylsilylene Me2Si, and other methylsilicon moieties.