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M. Kronstein, G. Fester, M. Schwarz, E. Kroke:
"A new method for the manufacture of nanofibrous silicon-based polymers and ceramics";
Poster: Frontiers in Silicon Chemistry 2011, Munich, Germany; 04-14-2011 - 04-15-2011; in: "1^st Munich Forum on Functional Materials", (2011), A58.

A novel route to silicon-based polymers and ceramics having a three-dimensional web-like network structure with mesh sizes between a few 10 to several 100 nm has been devised. The starting materials, hexa-coordinated-pyridine-adducts of H₂SiCl₂ and HSiCl₃, are obtained quantitatively and were comprehensively characterized. These solid adducts are used to form branched polysilanes and polysiloxanes during controlled heat treatment under vacuumat 150-250°C.
Based on the microfibrous structure of the products, they have a great potential for application as catalyst carrier, gas absorber and gas reservoir, thermal isolator and particle filter. Without losing their three-dimensional structure, the polymers can be converted to Si-O, Si-N and Si-O-N based materials via pyrolysis in reactive gas atmospheres at 1000°C, which suggest their use for ceramic-ceramic and ceramic-metal composites.