Hafnium-containing nanocomposites

New types of hafnium-containing nanocomposites are prepared by combining polymer synthesis and controlled thermolysis. This approach involves the preparation and subsequent thermolysis of hafnium-containing polymers or concurrent solid-state polymerization of hafnium-containing monomers and thermal decomposition of the forming metal-containing polymer at different temperatures. The composition and structure of the synthesized hafnium-containing precursors and thermolysis products are determined by elemental analysis, IR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, optical microscopy, and x-ray diffraction. Thermodynamic analysis is used to assess the equilibrium composition of the Hf-C-H-O system and establish the conditions under which HfC and HfO₂ are formed.