Octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane vs. Siloxane — What's the Difference?

Octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane, also called D4, is an organosilicon compound with the formula [(CH3)2SiO]4. It is a colorless viscous liquid.

A siloxane is a functional group in organosilicon chemistry with the Si−O−Si linkage. The parent siloxanes include the oligomeric and polymeric hydrides with the formulae H(OSiH2)nOH and (OSiH2)n.

(chemistry) A particular cyclic siloxane.

Any of a class of chemical compounds of silicon, oxygen, and hydrogen, based on the repeating structural unit H2SiO.

(chemistry) Any of a class of compound having a short repeating unit of silicon and oxygen atoms (either in a chain or a ring), typically with organic side chains

Any of a large class of compounds that have alternate silicon and oxygen atoms