POLYSILANES WITH VARIOUS ARCHITECTURES

Copolymers and homopolymers containing silicon atoms connected to thre e and four other silicon atoms have been prepared and characterized. W e report the first evidence of dendritic polymers with silicon backbon es. Copolymers made from RSiCl3 and R1R2SiCl2 resemble hybrid material s of polysilyne and polysilanes. Polymers, which contain tetrasilyl-su bstituted Si atoms, [(SiMe2)4Si]n and (Si)m(Me2Si)n, have also been sy nthesized. These molecules appear to be the first hyperbranched polyme rs, which have applications based on their electronic properties. The properties of these molecules fit into the hierarchy of 1-D to 3-D top ologies known for Si materials.