ISOTACTIC POLYVINYLETHYLSILANE - A POLYMER CONTAINING ACTIVE BONDS SI-H IN ITS SIDE GROUPS

The polymerization of vinylethylsilane (CH2 = CH)SiH2(C2H5) by the catalyst system VCl3/Al(C2H5)3, acting heterogeneously, is described. The resulting polymer is a white fibrous solid exhibiting crystallinity by X-ray examination. On the basis of the i.r. spectra, the polymer was assigned a hydrocarbon chain structure with side groups containing two Si-H bonds. The fibre spectra revealed a three-fold helix conformation of the macromolecules with an isotactic succession of the tertiary carbon atoms. © 1968.