One-step route to silicon carbide precursors by a tunable catalytic polycondensation

Abstract

Since then, preceramic polymers with various elemental compositions have been ~ t u d i e d . ~ ~ ~ Ceramic precursors need appropriate rheological properties to fabricate them into useful forms: complex shapes, fibers, coatings, thin films, binder, or matrix matrials. The required properties are usually obtained by adjusting the degree of crosslinking of the preceramic polymer.5 It is clear that the chemical reactivity of preceramic polymers is of importance. Functional chain units will lead to early cross-linking (limiting volatile formation) and rearrangement reactions (facilitating the organization of a three-dimensional network), during the thermolysis. Polymers with Si-H functionalities are of particular interest, since they are stable and since they are easily obtained by using the transition-metal-catalyzed dehydrogenative coupling of trihydrogenosilanes.610