Aryl complexes polysilanes

Selective cleavage of aryl groups can be used to generate methylsilanes functional at particular positions, which can then be used in further synthesis. For example 2-chloropermethyltrisilane, obtained according to equation 43, can be used to make more complex polysilanes. 

When aryl substituent groups are present, more complex photolytic reactions occur, and some cross-linking takes place as well as chain scission. Groups containing C=C double bonds are even more effective at bringing about cross-linking. This leads directly to the topic of cross-linking in polysilanes. 

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