Plasma synthesized polysilanes — organic nanostructural materials

Abstract The search for new organic materials with applicational potential has recently led to heterogeneous nanostructural systems in general, and plasma polymers in particular. The reasons for this are twofold — first, we can easily prepare polymers that are difficult to synthesize by other means and second, we can produce a set of materials with properties and structure changing in a wide range. This study reports the results achieved in plasma polymerization of polysilylanes in radio-frequency and microwave discharges. Langmuir probes, in situ mass spectrometry and cryogenic sampling and chromatography characterized the plasma and polymerization conditions, and the plasma synthesized polysilane films by the methods of absorption and infrared spectroscopy, desorption spectroscopy and steady state and transient fluorescence. The set of conditions were established for the optimum plasma polymerization, structure and microphysical properties of the films. As the main applicational area of the plasma polysilenes was luminescence, the stability was of prime interest.