RING-OPENING POLYMERIZATION AS A ROUTE TO NEW INORGANIC MACROMOLECULES

Cyclic inorganic compounds are potential precursors to new inorganic polymer systems via ring-opening polymerization. In this paper we review some of our recent work aimed at preparing inorganic polymers containing main group elements. For example, the ring-opening polymerization of the cyclic thionylphosphazenes NSOX(NPCl2)2 (X = Cl or F) is discussed. This provides a route to poly(thionylphosphazenes), a new class of stable inorganic polymers with backbones of phosphorus, nitrogen, and sulfur(VI) atoms. We also describe some of our preliminary work aimed at the investigation of the synthesis, structure, and polymerization behaviour of boracyclosiloxanes (RB0)(R2SiO)n. © 1992, Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. All rights reserved.