A photocurable, photoluminescent, polycarbosilane obtained by acyclic diene metathesis (ADMET) polymerization

The synthesis and study of a novel thermosetting, blue photoluminescent, cyclolinear polycarbosilane (CLPCS) are reported. This cyclolinear polycarbosilane, in which disilacyclobutane (DSCB) rings alternate with trans-stilbene units (i.e., [-{cyclo-Si(CH 3)(CH 2) 2Si(CH 3)}-C 6H 4-CH=CH-C 6H 4-] n (S-CLPCS), was prepared by via acyclic diene metathesis (ADMET) polymerization. The polymer showed excellent solubility in common organic solvents and blue photoemission with a high emission quantum yield (Φ ≈ 0.65). Spin-coated polymer films were thermally or photochemically cross-linked to yield tough, insoluble films, which showed no significant decrease in photoluminescence intensity relative to that of the initial polymer film prior to cross-linking. The effect of the DSCB spacers on the processability and optical properties of the polymers was investigated by preparing a series of alkylene-spaced polycarbosilane analogues and model compounds. © 2009 American Chemical Society.