Functionalization of hyperbranched polycarbosilanes - block copolymers and electrochemistry

Polycarbosilanes are a class of polymers at the interface between organic and inorganic chemistry. They are characterized by a high thermal and chemical inertness and high flexibility, especially pronounced for branched structures. Linear polycarbosilanes are well known as precursors for the preparation of SiCx ceramics. Additionally, more sophisticated architectures like dendrimers, hyperbranched polymers or block copolymers have been the subject of research for more than a decade. The scope of this work was to expand the properties and fields of application for polycarbosilane-containing structures. Thus, the work is divided in two major parts. The first part covers the synthesis and characterization of hyperbranched polycarbosilanes containing organometallic moieties. Hyperbranched poly-carbosilanes were synthesized using hydrosilylation of diallylmethylsilane and methyldiundecenylsilane. The degree of branching for polydiallymethylsilane was determined using standard 1H-NMR spectroscopy. The functional building blocks ferrocenyldimethylsilane and diferrocenylmethylsilane were synthesized which contain an isolated ferrocene unit or two ferrocenes bridged by silicon, respectively. Hyperbranched polycarbosilanes functionalized with ferrocenyl moieties were synthesized by modification of preformed polymers or by copolymerization of AB2 carbosilane monomers with AX-type ferrocenylsilanes. Polymers with Mn = 2500-9000g/mol and ferrocene contents of up to 67wt% were obtained. Electrochemical characterization by cyclic voltammetry revealed that polymers functionalized with isolated ferrocene units showed a single reversible oxidation wave, while voltammograms for polymers functionalized with diferrocenyl silane exhibited two well-separated reversible oxidation-reduction waves. This shows that the polymer bound ferrocenes bridged by silicon are electronically communicating and thus oxidation of the first ferrocene shifts the oxidation potential for the adjacent one. The polymers were utilized successfully for the preparation of modified electrodes with persistent and reproducible electrochemical response in organic solvents as well as in aqueous solution. The presented work has proven that ferrocenyl-functionalized hyperbranched polymers exhibit similar electrochemical properties as the analogous dendrimers. In a further approach it was shown that hyperbranched polymers containing organometallic moieties can be synthesized by polymerization of a new ferrocene-containing AB2 monomer - diallylferrocenylsilane. The second part of this work is dedicated to the preparation of core-functional hyperbranched polycarbosilanes. Low molecular weight ambifunctional molecules were synthesized that contain double bonds for the attachment of a polycarbosilane polymer as well as a second functionality available for further reaction and modification. Reactive vinyl groups in the core molecule allow an efficient attachment of hyperbranched polycarbosilane which was proven by MALDI-ToF and GPC. In combination with slow monomer addition techniques molecular weight and polydispersity of the polymers were controlled successfully. Core-functional polymers were characterized by NMR-spectroscopy, MALDI-ToF and GPC. Polymers with polydispersities