PHOTOOXIDATION STUDIES ON BRANCHED POLYSILANES

The photooxidation of films of the branched [(SiEt)(m)(SiPh(2))(n)], ( SiPh)(n), [(SiPh)(m)(SiMe(2))], [(Sic-hex)(m)(SiPh(2))(n)], and of the linear (SiPhMe)(n) polymers, by UV irradiation (lambda = 337 nm) was studied by IR and UV-vis spectroscopic measurements. The main chemical changes were the formation of siloxane and silanol groups, with a rat io that varied from 1.4 to 3.0, indicating partial degradation of the branched structures. At the saturation dose, the degree of oxidation o f the polymer films was approximately the same (35-41%), but the total amount of oxygen incorporation was greater for the more branched ones , due to the higher density of Si-Si bonds in those polymer films. Cop yright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd