Effect of side decoration of some poly(carbosilanes) on their structure and thermal properties

For a series of poly(carbosilanes) with different chemical structures and geometric dimensions of side radicals, the effect of side decoration on the phase state, thermal properties, and tendency toward mesomorphism was studied by X-ray diffraction, DSC, and thermomechanical techniques. It was shown that all the examined polymers are partially crystalline, and the structure of their noncrystalline phase is characterized by an increased level of ordering compared to the short-range order of common liquids. It is inferred that the polymers under study exhibit a mesophase nature; however, no two-dimensional pseudohexagonal mesomorphic structure, which is typical, according to the literature data, for several representatives of the tested polymeric materials, was found.