ORGANOSILANE POLYMERS - 1. POLY(DIMETHYLSILYLENE).

Poly(dimethylsilylene) (PDMS), X(Me//2Si)//nX, was first prepared as polydisperse higher polymers by coupling dimethyldichlorosilane (DMDCS) with molten sodium metal in benzene. Alkali metal coupling DMDCS was subsequently developed along a different line for synthesis of cyclic dimethylsilylenes but PDMS higher polymers were usually formed as by-products. In the reported experiments, poly(dimethylsilylene) higher polymers prepared by alkali metal coupling of purified dimethyldichlorosilane were found to be high melting, largely crystalline polymers, soluble in solvents at temperatures above 200 degree C.