text: The silicon α‑effect described above is mainly focused on carbon. In fact, the most industrially-important silicon α‑effect instead occurs with silyl ethers.  Under hydrolysis condition, certain α-silane-terminated prepolymers crosslink 10-1000 times faster than the corresponding prepolymers produced from conventional C-functionalized trialkoxypropylsilanes and dialkoxymethylpropylsilanes.