Thermal degradation behavior, exothermic patterns, and kinetic parameters of symmetrical/asymmetrically substituted polysilanes during the Kumada thermal rearrangement in the temperature range of 100-450 °C, were investigated applying thermogravimetric (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetric (DSC) techniques. Three kinds of polysilanes, viz., Polydimethylsilane (PDMS), Polydiphenylsilane (PDPS) and Polymethylphenylsilane (PMPS) were synthesized through Wurtz/Wurtz-Fittig polycondensation. As-synthesized polysilanes were then characterized by FT-IR, CHNO, and TGA-DSC techniques. FT-IR spectra con rmed the presence of methyl, phenyl, and a combination of methylphenyl functional groups in PDMS, PDPS, and PMPS, respectively. From CHNO analysis, the chemical/empirical formula of PDMS, PDPS, and PMPS was found to be SiC2.01H6.25, SiC12.50H10.26, and SiC6.45H7.76, respectively. TGA results con rmed that PDPS was more thermally stable as compared to PDMS and PMPS. The kinetic parameters of polysilanes were determined by using isoconversional methods such as Ozawa and modi ed Kissinger-Akahira-Sunose (KAS) methods. The average value of activation energy for PDPS obtained from Ozawa and KAS methods was found to be 1078.49 and 1068.32 kJ/mole, respectively, which is very much higher as compared to that of PDMS and PMPS.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.