Polycarbosilanes as Precursors to Ceramics and as Functional Polymeric Materials

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This award to Professors Leonard Interrante and Thomas Apple at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is supported by the Advanced Materials and Processing Program in the Chemistry Division. The theme of the research is the design, synthesis and characterization of polycarbosilanes as ceramic precursors and functional polymeric materials. Three main directions will be explored: (1) synthesis and applications of new poly(silylenemethylenes) and their hyperbranched analogs; (2)investigation of chain dynamics, crosslinking, and pyrolysis of poly(silaethylene) and other polycarbosilanes; and (3) synthesis and characterization of new poly(silylenemethylene)-polysiloxane copolymers. Silicon-containing polymers structurally analogous to all-carbon and polyphosphazene polymers will be prepared and their properties compared. Targeted applications will be ceramic precursors for silicon-carbon, silicon-carbon-oxygen and silicon-carbon-nitrogen ceramics, polyelectrolytes for lithium batteries and open network microporous solids. This interdisciplinary award will combine silicon chemistry with polymer science and will expose students to real world applications. A broad range of activities ranging from monomer synthesis, polymerization, polymer characterization and chain dynamics to property measurements of derived ceramics, electrolytes and mesoporous solids will provide a rich learning environment and possibly lead to new silicon-based materials.