Abstract
Several types of synthetic methods are used to produce inorganic and organometallic polymers, which are classified as step or chain polymerisation. This chapter discusses step polymerisation, which involves the stepwise reaction of bifunctional or multifunctional monomers to form polymers. This polymerisation affords many inorganic and organometallic polymers, including siloxanes, silanes, phosphazenes, and transition metal-containing polymers. We will present the mechanistic and kinetic considerations and some examples of this polymerisation to guide the student in designing inorganic and organometallic polymers. We expect the student to be able to achieve the outcomes in Box 2.1 by the end of the chapter.
Publisher
Royal Society of Chemistry