New hyperbranched carbosiloxane–carbosilane polymers with aromatic units in the backbone

Abstract New hyperbranched polymers based on a carbosiloxane–carbosilane skeleton with aromatic units in the backbone have been prepared via one-pot hydrosilylation reaction using HSi(Me) 2 –O–CH 2 –C 6 H 4 –OSiMe–(CH 2 ) 4 (C 3 H 5 ) 2 as a novel AB 2 monomer. These polymers are easy to prepare, have narrow polydispersity values and present allyl groups on the surface which can be used as synthetic platforms for the introduction of different terminal groups like amine groups through hydrosilylation reactions, opening the door to functionalized polymers. The polymerization process was monitored using real-time 1 H NMR spectroscopy and the resulting hyperbranched polymers were characterized using 1 H NMR, 13 C NMR, 29 Si NMR and SEC/MALLS. The degree of branching in these polymers was determined by quantitative 29 Si NMR spectroscopy and found to be very close to the theoretical value of 0.50 for AB 2 systems. The hydrolytic degradation of these polymers in protic solvents has been studied by 29 Si NMR.