Silicon-containing polymers offer a number of unique properties that contribute to their prominent development and use. Though not produced on the scale of silicones, polysilazanes (silicon and nitrogen-containing polymers), and polycabosilanes (silicon and carbon-containing polymers) are immensely important for the production of advanced materials. These soluble semi-organic macromolecules are referred to as pre-ceramic polymers (PCPs), as they may be converted to refractory materials via pyrolysis. These polymers are essential for the development of complex ceramic composites for high temperature aerospace applications. The transformation from polymer to ceramic is poorly understood, but involves a number of processes including crosslinking, decomposition, and recombination during the heat treatment. Our goal is to create a convenient, modular system that provides access to processable PCPs. Through a one-step procedure, we have synthesized hyperbranched PCPs with low polydispersity, tailorable properties, and optimized processability. Specific emphasis was directed at using alkene moieties for crosslinking within the polymer network when cured. After curing, the PCP mixtures were subsequently pyrolyzed to high temperatures (800 – 1000 °C), while retaining &gt; 50% mass. Our unique approach offers the ability to study structure-function relationships while probing the mechanisms involved during curing and ceramic conversion.

Hyperbranched polycarbosilanes for modular synthesis of ceramics

255th National Meeting (2018)

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