Polyferrocenyldisiloxane from the Platinum-Catalyzed Reactions of Tertiary Bis(dimethylsilyl)ferrocene in a Polar Aprotic Solvent

An evaluation of the ambient and elevated temperature Pt-catalyzed reactions of 1, 1'-bis-(dimethylsilyl)ferrocene, in two oxygen-containing polar aprotic solvents: DMF and DMSO has been reported. The redox-active ferrocene units of these polymers typically impart thermal and hydrolytic stability to the backbone, while the overall physical properties of these materials are dominated by the chemical nature of the bridging group. The DMF reaction mixtures using different catalyst ratios were likewise precipitated into an excess of MeOH. Absolute molecular weights for the polyferrocenyldisiloxanes range from 12.5 to 103 kDa and are isolated as low-Tg polymeric gums. The Pt-catalyzed coupling reactions of 1, 1'-bis-(dimethylsilyl)ferrocene in DMSO solutions proceed much more quickly than in DMF solutions under ambient or elevated temperatures.