Ts. Haddad et Jd. Lichtenhan, THE INCORPORATION OF TRANSITION-METALS INTO POLYHEDRAL OLIGOSILSESQUIOXANE POLYMERS, Journal of inorganic and organometallic polymers, 5(3), 1995, pp. 237-246
A new class of polyhedral oligosilsesquioxane (POSS) copolymers has be
en developed by incorporating into a polymer backbone the POSS disilan
ol macromer, (c-C6H11)(8)Si8O11(OH)(2), along with a variety of inorga
nic comonomers. These new inorganic cluster-based copolymers were synt
hesized using a condensation polymerization approach, with formation o
f metal-oxygen bonds and elimination of HCl (as RNEt(3)Cl) or CH4 driv
ing the reaction. The polymers thus formed are isolated as amorphous p
owders but do not display any observable glass transition; they decomp
ose without melting at over 400 degrees C under nitrogen. Especially i
nteresting is the formation of a zirconocene-bridged copolymer which i
s stable to both air and methanol.