sentences:  Sodium metal can be used to polymerize dimethyldichlorosilane, producing polysilane chains with a Si-Si backbone.Other types of dichlorosilane monomers, such as Ph2SiCl2, can be added to adjust the properties of the polymer.In organic synthesis it (together with its close relative diphenyldichlorosilane) is used as a protecting group for "gem"-diols.