Polysilanes properties

Electronic factors in oligomerization, 175-176, 197-205, 212-214 Electronic properties, polysilane, 143-145 Electron lone pairs, 230, 231, 233 on base-stabilized monomers, 280,... 

In addition to their other interesting properties, polysilanes are photoconduc-tive [41] (see Chapter 2) and, therefore, are attractive v th regard to practical applications [42, 43]. However, to the detriment of their technical applicability, polysilanes show a pronounced trend to suffer photodegradation. Light absorption induces main-chain scission and extrusion of silylene, as depicted in Scheme 7.17. 

Because of their special chemical and electro-optical properties, polysilanes have been proposed as materials for many applications. These can be classified into two main categories ... 

Polysilanes which possess all-silicon backbones are attracting much research because they exhibit unusual electronic and photochemical properties. Polysilanes have discrete, intense near UV absorption bands attributed to oto cf transitions between Si-Si... 

The polysdanes are normally electrical insulators, but on doping with AsF or SbF they exhibit electrical conductivity up to the levels of good semiconductors (qv) (98,124). Conductivities up to 0.5 (H-cm) have been measured. However, the doped polymers are sensitive to air and moisture thereby making them unattractive for practical use. In addition to semiconducting behavior, polysilanes exhibit photoconductivity and appear suitable for electrophotography (qv) (125—127). Polysdanes have also been found to exhibit nonlinear optical properties (94,128). 

The history and development of polysilane chemistry is described. The polysilanes (polysilylenes) are linear polymers based on chains of silicon atoms, which show unique properties resulting from easy delocalization of sigma electrons in the silicon-silicon bonds. Polysilanes may be useful as precursors to silicon carbide ceramics, as photoresists in microelectronics, as photoinitiators for radical reactions, and as photoconductors. 

The polysilanes are compounds containing chains, rings, or three-dimensional structures of silicon atoms joined by covalent bonds. Recently, polysilane high polymers have become the subject of intense research in numerous laboratories. These polymers show many unusual properties, reflecting the easy delocalization of sigma electrons in the silicon-silicon bonds. In fact, the polysilanes exhibit behavior unlike that for any other known class of materials. 

In any event, between 1951 and 1975, no papers appeared on polysilane high polymers. However, linear permethylpolysilanes of the type MelSiMezhiMe were prepared and studied, especially by Kumada and his students,(5) and cyclic polysilanes were being investigated in several laboratories.(6,7) Studies of the permethyl-cyclosilanes, (Me2Si)n where n = 4 to 7, showed that these compounds exhibit remarkable delocalization of the ring sigma electrons, and so have electronic properties somewhat like those of aromatic hydrocarbons.(6)... 

Physical properties of the polysilanes depend greatly upon the nature of the organic groups bound to silicon. A few of the many polysilanes are listed in Table I. Typically the linear polysilanes are thermoplastics, soluble in organic solvents like toluene, ethers,... 

If the alkyl substituent in a dialkyl substituted polysilane is either too short or is branched, it cannot pack properly to allow side chain crystallization, and hence, one would expect very different, properties from PDHS and its higher homologs. In order to study this possibility, we synthesized and characterized the di-n-butyl (PDBS), di-n-pentyl (PDPS) and di-5-methylhexyl polymers (PDMHS). 

The recent interest in substituted silane polymers has resulted in a number of theoretical (15-19) and spectroscopic (19-21) studies. Most of the theoretical studies have assumed an all-trans planar zig-zag backbone conformation for computational simplicity. However, early PES studies of a number of short chain silicon catenates strongly suggested that the electronic properties may also depend on the conformation of the silicon backbone (22). This was recently confirmed by spectroscopic studies of poly(di-n-hexylsilane) in the solid state (23-26). Complementary studies in solution have suggested that conformational changes in the polysilane backbone may also be responsible for the unusual thermochromic behavior of many derivatives (27,28). In order to avoid the additional complexities associated with this thermochromism and possible aggregation effects at low temperatures, we have limited this report to polymer solutions at room temperature. 

The second approach to linear polysilanes is based on the modification of polysilanes prepared by the reductive coupling method. The severe conditions of this reaction allow only alkyl or aryl substituents at the silicon atom in the starting dichlorosilane. Therefore only alkyl or aryl substituted polysilanes are known. We have successfully prepared new polysilanes with pendant alkoxy and amino side groups. This approach allows fine tuning of the properties of... 

Polysilanes with alkoxy groups are more light sensitive than conventional polysilanes. They degrade rapidly in the presence of light in agreement with the facile formation of silylene from dialkoxydisilanes. Properties of these polymers are currently being investigated. 

The discovery that soluble high molecular weight polysilanes may be prepared by the reductive coupling of dichlorodialkylsilanes by alkali metals (1,2) has led to considerable work on the properties of this interesting class of polymers (3,4,5). The preparation of the polymers leaves much to be desired as frequently the high polymer is only a minor product. Mechanistic studies of the reaction with a view to improving the relevant yields have been few (6). The major ones by Zeigler (7,8,9) showed that a silylene diradical was not involved in the reaction, and stressed the importance of polymer solvent interactions. 

The application of chloromethyldisilanes, available on an industrial scale, yields polysilanes containing chlorine and a chlorine containing SiC is formed after pyrolysis. The properties of such SiC are not very useful. It is better to use methoxymethyldisilanes [17] or H-containing methyldisilanes [18]. 

Figure 4. shows the route from the high boiling residue of the direct synthesis to silicon carbo-nitride fibers. Methylchlorodisilanes and trichlorosilanes as additives are mixed in a specific ratio and react with methylamine and a small amount of ammonia to form an aminodisilane/oligosilazane. The subsequent polycondensation reaction of this mixture by heating to 250 °C yields a soluble and melt spinnable polysilazane. In comparision with the polysilane the properties of the polysilazane depend on the ratios of the disilanes/silanes and methylamine/ammonia and also on the reaction conditions. 

In this review, we explain the synthesis, structures, and properties of ladder polysilanes.18 The ladder polysilanes have the unique structure consisting of catenated and fused cyclotetrasilane rings. This system has remarkable features ... 

From these results, the electronic properties of the ladder polysilanes are found to be highly affected by their stereochemistry. 

Fundamental knowledge on the structures and properties of the ladder polysilanes has accumulated in our research for the past 15 years. Some results were unpredictable, including the silicon double helix structure, the domino oxidation, the formation of persistent radical anions, the Diels-Alder reactions at the 1,4-positions of anthracene, etc. These results let us recognize that the construction of novel structures will open the new chemistry. 

---