Inorganic polymer
Inorganic polymers are polymers with a skeletal structure that does not include carbon atoms[1]. Polymers containing inorganic and organic components are named hybrid polymers[2]. One of the best known examples is polydimethylsiloxane, otherwise known commonly as silicone rubber. It has a repeat unit based on silicon and oxygen:
—[O-Si(CH3)2]n—
Silicon and oxygen also occur widely in a range of inorganic minerals, including silica, mica and feldspar with other elements.
The inorganic sulfur-nitrogen polymer polythiazyl, (SN)x, is, highly unusually, a metallic superconducting polymer below 0.26 K.[3]
Examples
- Homo-atomic polymers with one kind of atom in the main chain:
- Silicon-Silicon: Polysilanes;
- Germanium-germanium: Polygermanes;
- Tin-tin: Polystannanes.
- Hetero-atomic polymers with more than one type of atom in the main chain, mostly two types of atoms alternate along the main chain:
- Boron-nitrogen: Polyborazylenes;
- Silicon-Oxygen: Polysiloxanes like the Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), Polymethylhydrosiloxane (PMHS) and polydiphenylsiloxane;
- Phosphorus-nitrogen: Polyphosphazenes and their precursor the Poly(dichlorophosphazene);
- Sulfur-nitrogen: Polythiazyls.
- Sulfur: Polysulfides.
Polymerization
Inorganic polymers are formed, like organic polymers, by:
- Step-growth polymerization: Polysiloxanes;
- Chain-growth polymerization: Polysilanes;
- Ring-opening polymerization: Poly(dichlorophosphazene).
References
- ^ http://goldbook.iupac.org/IT07515.html
- ^ http://goldbook.iupac.org/HT07556.html
- ^ M. M. Labes, P. Love, and L. F. Nichols (1979). "Polysulfur nitride - a metallic, superconducting polymer". Chem. Rev. 79 (1): 1–15. doi:10.1021/cr60317a002.
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External links
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