Marek Cypryk

Synthesis and characterization of polysilanes

Abstract Polysilanes are polymers with a linear Si-Si catenation in the main chain and with two organic substituents at each silicon atom: They possess interesting physical and chemical properties and have potential commercial importance [1-3]. Molecular weights of polysilanes are often larger than M, = 1,000,000 and they usually behave as thermoplastic materials which are soluble in typical organic solvents. The high catenation degree can only be matched by carbon-based chains, polygermanes, and polysulfur. Polysilanes formally resemble polyole-fins, but there are a number of very important differences between these two classes of polymers