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 unusual, a metallic superconducting polymer below 0.26 K.[3]
Examples
- Homochain polymers with one kind of atom in the main chain:
- Silicon-silicon: polysilanes; precursors to fibrous silicon carbide
- Germanium-germanium: polygermanes
- Tin-tin: polystannanes
- Heterochain polymers with more than one type of atom in the main chain, mostly two types of atoms alternate along the main chain, ranked by atomic weight of in-chain elements:[4]
- Boron-nitrogen: polyborazylenes
- Silicon-oxygen: polysiloxanes like the polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), polymethylhydrosiloxane (PMHS) and polydiphenylsiloxane
- Silicon-nitrogen: polysilazanes like perhydridopolysilazane PHPS
- Phosphorus-nitrogen: polyphosphazenes and their precursor the poly(dichlorophosphazene)
- Phosphorus-oxygen: polyphosphates, which occur naturally and are widely used commercially.
- 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.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Mark, J. E.; Allcock, H. R.; West, R. “Inorganic Polymers” Prentice Hall, Englewood, NJ: 1992. ISBN 0-13-465881-7.
External links
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