Recent Developments in Organosilicon Polymer Synthesis

@ Interest in organosilicon polymers other than polysiloxanes has been intensified in recent years because of the potential technological applications of these materials. These polymers differ from conventional carbon-based polymers in that they exhibit unique physical properties such as o-electron delocalization of polysilanes and high thermal satability of polycarbosilanes. This review deals with the following features: (i) synthesis and chemical modification of organosilicon polymers by means of a transition-metal-catalyzed hydrosilylation reaction, (ii) synthesis of polysilanes by the transition-metal-catalyzed dehydrocoupling reaction of hydrosilanes, (iii) electrochemical route to organosilicon polymers, and (iv) other transition-metal-catalyzed synthesis of organosilicon polymers.