Synthesis and thermal property of boron–silicon– acetylene hybrid polymer

Inorganic–organic boron–silicon–acetylene hybrid polymer (PABS) was prepared by the polycondensation reaction between phenylboric acid and diphenyldichlorosilane and then terminated by phenylacetylene. The structure was characterized by using FTIR, ¹³C‐NMR, ¹H‐NMR, and GPC. PABS was a kind of resin exhibited high viscous at room temperature and good solubility in common organic solvents. The thermal and oxidative properties were evaluated by DSC and TGA. Exothermal peak at 370°C observed by DSC was attributed to reaction of the acetylene units. PABS showed excellent thermal and oxidative stability, and TGA exhibited the temperature of 5% weight loss (Td₅) was 625°C and char yield at 900°C was 90.0% in nitrogen. Surprisingly, both Td₅ and char yield at 900°C showed slightly increase in air, which was 638°C and 90.9%, respectively. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

Novel heat resistant methyl‐tri(phenylethynyl)silane resin: Synthesis,characterization and thermal properties

Methyl‐tri(phenylethynyl)silane (MTPES) was successfully synthesized by the reaction of lithium phenylacetylide with methyltrichlorosilane. The structure was characterized by HRMS, FTIR, ¹H‐NMR, ¹³C‐NMR, ²⁹Si‐NMR, and elementary analysis. Thermal cure process was monitored by DSC, DMA, and FTIR. MTPES was heated to free flowing liquid around 130°C and thermally polymerized at 327–377°C to form thermoset. Thermal and oxidative properties were evaluated by TGA analysis. Thermoset exhibits extremely high heat‐resistance and TGA curve in nitrogen shows the temperature of 5% weight loss (Td₅) of 695°C and total weight loss at 800°C of 7.1%. TGA shows a high Td₅ of 565°C even in air, although the total weight loss at 800°C was 56.1% of the initial weight, much higher than that in nitrogen. The high heat resistance of MTPES was ascribed to crosslinking reaction concerning ethynyl groups. Aging studies performed at elevated temperatures in air on a thermoset showed that MTPES is oxidatively stable to 300°C. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 102: 2488–2492, 2006     

Synthesis and curing behavior of a novel benzoxazine‐based bisphthalonitrile monomer

A novel bisphthalonitrile containing benzoxazine units (BZ‐BPH) was synthesized via a solventless method from 4,4′‐dihydroxybiphenyl, paraformaldehyde, and 4‐aminophenoxylphthalonitrile. The chemical structure of BZ‐BPH was confirmed by ¹H‐NMR and ¹³C‐NMR analyses. The curing behavior was investigated with DSC, FTIR, TGA, and rheology techniques. The monomer manifested a two‐stage thermal polymerization pattern. The first stage was attributed to the ring‐opening polymerization of benzoxazine moiety, and the second to the polymerization of phthalonitriles. Study about the effect of the catalysts including 4,4′‐diaminodiphenylsulfone and FeCl₃ on the polymerization of BZ‐BPH was performed, and the result indicated that the addition of these agents could increase the curing rate and lower the curing temperature. Additionally, the cured product showed excellent thermal and thermo‐oxidative stability, the high char yield was 76.0% by weight at 800°C in nitrogen atmosphere and 81.2% by weight at 600°C in air, and temperature at 5% weight loss (T_5%) in nitrogen and air was 477.9°C and 481.7°C, respectively. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Synthesis,characterization, and properties of silylene–acetylene preceramic polymers

A series of silylene–acetylene preceramic polymers 3a–e were synthesized by polycondensation reaction of dilithioacetylene with dichlorosilane (H₂SiCl₂) or/and methyldichlorosilane (MeSiHCl₂). Their structures were confirmed by infrared spectra (IR), and ¹H and ²⁹Si NMR spectroscopies. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) diagrams show exotherms centered at 200 to 233°C temperature range, attributed to crosslinking reaction of the acetylene and Si? H groups. After thermal treatment, the obtained thermosets 4a–e possess excellent thermal stability. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) under nitrogen show the T_d5s (temperature of 5% weight loss) for all the thermosets are above 600°C, and the overall char yields are between 95.62% and 89.67% at 900°C. After pyrolysis at 1200°C, the obtained ceramic residues 5a–e exhibit good thermo‐oxidative stability with final weight retention between 98.76% and 91.66% at 900°C under air. In particular, perhydroploy(silylene)ethynylene 3a , which has the highest Si/C ratio in silylene–acetylene polymers, has the highest char yield, and the derived ceramic material 5a displays the best thermo‐oxidative stability. Based on Scanning electron microscopy and its associated energy‐dispersive X‐ray microanalysis (SEM EDX) and ¹³C magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (MAS NMR) analysis, ceramic 5a contains the highest SiC content. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Synthesis,characterization, and curing behavior of carborane‐containing benzoxazine resins with excellent thermal and thermo‐oxidative stability

Two benzoxazine precursors bearing carborane moiety ( 1 and 2 ) were designed and synthesized successfully by the Mannich reaction of corresponding carborane bisphenol ( 3 and 4 ) with aniline and formaldehyde in 1,4‐dioxane. The obtained precursors were characterized by using multiple spectroscopic techniques including GPC, FTIR, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, and ¹¹B NMR. Nonisothermal DSC studies showed that precursor 1 owned lower apparent activation energies (E_a) than 2 . The optimum curing processes of benzoxazine precursors were also obtained on the basis of DSC data. TGA analyses manifested that the incorporation of carborane moiety endowed the obtained benzoxazine resins (cured 1 and 2 ) with excellent thermal stability and unique thermo‐oxidative stability. The T_d data showed that the initial degradation of both cured 1 and 2 under nitrogen and air was postponed to some extent owing to the shielding effect of carborane moiety on adjacent organic fragments. At higher temperature three‐dimensional polymer networks with B‐O‐B and B–C linkages were formed as chars by the reaction of carborane cage with atmospheric moisture, degradation products such as phenolic hydroxyl, and oxygen (under air). Under nitrogen this network hindered the motion of radicals formed at elevated temperature and thus inhibited further polymer degradation processes. While under air, the formed boron‐rich networks could hardly be further oxidized into carbon dioxide so that the carborane‐containing benzoxazine resins also showed very high char yields. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 43488.     

Synthesis and characterization of carborane‐containing polyester with excellent thermal and ultrahigh char yield

A series of wholly carborane‐containing polyesters with high thermostability were successfully synthesized by the catalytic polycondensation of carborane diol monomers with carborane diacid chlorides. They can be used for the preparation of materials of high temperature resistant coatings and adhesive. The influence of solvent, reaction temperature, and reaction time on the molecular weight and yield of the polymers were studied. In comparison with the carborane‐free polyester, the carborane‐containing polyesters showed higher degradation temperature and char yield and lower degradation rate. The thermal gravimetric analyzer (TGA) curves indicate that the carborane group could effectively reduce the degradation rate of carborane‐containing polyesters, which give a char yield of exceeding 64% under air (47% under N₂) at 700 °C. Such data are superior to the carborane‐free polyester, which showed a low char yield of around 0.3% under air (5% under N₂) at the same condition. Moreover, the thermal transition mechanism of carborane‐containing polyesters was also studied. The FTIR spectra and TG‐FTIR analysis indicate that the carborane cage could react with oxygen to form BOB and BC linkages at elevated temperatures, which postpones the thermal decomposition of polyester and accounts for the high char yield. The newly prepared kind of high temperature polyesters have enormous technical and economic value, especially in the high temperature fields. They can be widely used as raw materials to prepare the high temperature resistant coatings or adhesives for automotive engine, aircraft and other equipments worked in high‐temperature environments. Under high environmental temperature, the good thermal stability is capable of keeping polyesters stable and expanding their service lives. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 44202.     

Synthesis,structure, and properties of segmented carborane‐containing polyurethanes

Novel segmented carborane‐containing polyurethane (PUR 2–5) is synthesized from hydroxyl‐terminated carborane‐containing prepolymer (P3) as soft segment and isocyanate‐terminated carborane‐containing prepolymer (P5) as hard segment by different ratio of P3 and P5. The prepared carborane‐containing polyarylesters and polyurethanes (PURs) are characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR). Their mechanical properties and thermal stability are measured, while the dosage of carborane biphenol is 5–10 wt %, the tensile strength is up to 20 MPa, and thermal gravimetric analyzer (TGA) curves indicate that the carborane group effectively reduces the degradation rate of carborane‐containing polyurethane, which is fairly stable above 300°C and with char yield exceeding 40%. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 42227.     

Synthesis,characterization, and thermo mechanical properties of siloxane‐modified epoxy‐based nano composite

In this study, polymer hybrid composites were synthesized by sol‐gel process. 3‐Amino‐propyltrimethoxysilane [APTMS)/γ‐Glycidoxypropyl trimethoxy‐silane (GPTMS); (4, 4′‐Methylene‐dianiline (DDM)] and 1,4‐Bis(trimethoxysilylethyl) benzene (BTB) were added to DGEBA type epoxy resin for anticipated to exhibit excellent thermal stability. Boron trifluoride monoethylamine (BF₃MEA) was used as catalyst. The structure of nanocomposites was characterized by attenuated total reflectance (ATR) and solid‐state ²⁹Si NMR which suggest EP‐APTMS‐BTB/EP‐GPTMS‐BTB possesses T³; T¹–T⁰, and T¹ structures when the BTB content was lower than 10 wt % and higher 20 wt %, respectively. BF₃MEA was proved to be an effective catalyst for the sol‐gel reaction of APTMS, but it could not promote for GPTMS. From TEM microphotographs, EP‐APTMS‐BTB (10 wt %) possesses a dense inorganic structure (particle size around 5–15 nm) compare with the loose inorganic structure of EP‐GPTM‐/BTB (10 wt %). DSC, TGA were use to analyze the thermal properties of the nanocomposites and DMA was used to analyze the dynamic mechanical properties of hybrid composites. The T_gs of all nanocomposites decreased with the increasing BTB content. A system with BTB content lower than 10 wt % showed good dynamic mechanical property and thermal stability (Td₅ increased from 336°C to 371°C, char yield increased from 27.4 to 30.2%). The structure of inorganic network affects the Td₅ and dynamic mechanical properties of composite. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131, 40984.     

Synthesis and characterization of aryl boron-containing thermoplastic phenolic resin with high thermal decomposition temperature and char yield

Phenol, zinc acetate dihydrate and paraformaldehyde are firstly performed to synthesize thermoplastic phenolic resin (PR), then phenylboronic acid (PBA) and other two boron compounds (4-hydroxymethyl phenylboronic acid & boronic acid) are introduced to fabricate the boron-containing thermoplastic phenolic resins (BPRs). The corresponding molecular structure, softening points, thermal decomposition temperature and char yield ratio of the BPRs are characterized and investigated by FTIR, NMR, XPS and TGA. Compared to pure thermoplastic PR, all the BPRs present relatively higher softening points, more excellent thermal decomposition temperature and higher char yield values. BPR-a exhibits the optimal thermal decomposition temperature (T ₅ of 317.4 °C) and char yield ratio at 800 °C (69.6 %).     

Synthesis,cure and pyrolysis behavior of heat‐resistant boron‐silicon hybrid polymer containing acetylene

The synthesis and characterization of a novel heat‐resistant boron‐silicon hybrid polymer containing acetylene (PBSA) and its conversion to a highly crosslinked thermoset were discussed. The polymer was synthesized from phenylboron dichloride using Grignard reagent method. The structure of PBSA was characterized by using Fourier transform infrared spectra, ¹H‐NMR, ¹³C‐NMR, and gel permeation chromatography. PBSA was thermosetting, highly heat‐resistant, high‐viscous, orange liquid at room temperature and good solubility in common organic solvents. Differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis analyses showed that the PBSA had excellent thermal and oxidative stability and the temperature of 5% weight loss (Td₅) were 650 and 638°C under nitrogen and air, respectively, and the residue at 1000°C were 93.3 and 91.3%, respectively, which indicated that the incorporation of boron and silicon into polymeric backbone was found to improve thermal and oxidative properties. X‐ray diffraction and scanning electron microscope were also used to analyze the formation of pyrolytic products. The results showed that the pyrolysis of PBSA resin was made up of β‐SiC and graphite. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012     

Synthesis,characterization, and thermal properties of tris (3‐aminophenyl) phosphine oxide‐based nadimide resins

This article describes the synthesis, characterization, and thermal properties of nadimides obtained by reacting endo‐5‐norbornene‐2,3‐dicarboxylic acid anhydride (nadic anhydride) (NA), 4,4′‐oxodiphthalic anhydride (ODA), 1,4,5,8‐naphthalene tetra carboxylic dianhydride (NTDA) in glacial acetic acid/DMF. Structural characterization of the resins was done by elemental analysis, IR, ¹H‐NMR, and ¹³C‐NMR. The DSC scan showed the endothermic transition in the temperature range of 120–270°C. Multistep decomposition was observed in the TG scan of uncured resins in nitrogen atmosphere. Isothermal curing of the resins was done at 250 and 300°C for 1 h in an air atmosphere. These cured resins were stable to (350 ± 30)°C and decomposed in a single step above this temperature. This may be due to the retro Diels Alder (RDA) reaction. The char yield of the resins increased significantly on curing. The char yield was highest for P‐2N resin and this could be due to the presence of rigid skeleton i.e. naphthalene. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Thermal characteristics and pyrolysis of methyl‐di(phenylethynyl)silane resin

Thermal stability of a recently synthesized polymeric methyl‐di(phenylethynyl)silane (MDPES) resin was studied using a number of thermal and spectrometric analytical techniques. The polymer exhibits extremely high thermal stability. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) shows that the temperature of 5% weight loss (T_d5) was 615°C and total weight loss at 800°C was 8.9%, in nitrogen atmosphere, while in air, T_d5 was found to be 562°C, and total weight loss at 800°C was found to be 55.8% of the initial weight. Differential thermal degradation (DTG) studies show that the thermal degradation of MDPES resin was single‐stage in air and two‐stage in nitrogen. The thermal degradation kinetics was studied using dynamic TGA, and the apparent activation energies were estimated to be 120.5 and 114.8 kJ/mol in air, respectively, by Kissinger and Coats–Redfern method. The white flaky pyrolysis residue was identified to be silicon dioxide by FTIR and EDS, indicating that the thermal stability of polymer may be enhanced by the formation of a thin silicon dioxide film on the material surface. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl PolymSci 103: 605–610, 2007     

Synthesis,thermal degradation,and flame retardance of novel triazine ring‐containing macromolecules for intumescent flame retardant polypropylene

Two novel triazine ring‐containing macromolecules, designated as charring‐foaming agent 1 (CFA1) and charring‐foaming agent 2 (CFA2), were synthesized by a series of polycondensation reactions. Their chemical structures were analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹³C solid‐state NMR), and elemental analysis, and their thermal degradation properties were assessed by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). TGA data revealed that CFA1 and CFA2 show high thermal stability and have a high propensity for char formation, their initial decomposition temperatures being 300.2°C and 287.1°C, and their char residues at 800°C amounting to 32.2 wt % and 21.1 wt %, respectively. CFA1 presents higher thermal stability and more char residue than CFA2. Based on experimental results of the flame retardancy (limiting oxygen indices values and UL‐94 V‐0 rating) and the TG data of new intumescent flame retardant polypropylene (IFR‐PP) containing CFA1 and CFA2, CFA1 exhibits more outstanding intumescent flame retardance than CFA2. IFRs containing CFA1 and CFA2 enhanced Notched Izod Impact strength of IFR‐PP, and slightly lower tensile strength of IFR‐PP. IFR2 shows more advantageous effect on mechanical properties of IFR‐PP than IFR1. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Preparation and thermal properties of novel phthalonitrile oligomer containing biphenyl ethernitrile/bisphthalonitrile blends

A kind of novel n = 2 phthalonitrile oligomer containing biphenyl ethernitrile (2PEN‐BPh) had been firstly synthesized from 2,6‐dichlorobenzonitrile, 4,4′‐biphenol and 4‐nitrophthalonitrile via solution reaction, and the 2PEN‐BPh was characterized by FTIR, ¹H‐NMR spectra which exhibited that cyano groups and ethernitrile linkages existed in the backbone of 2PEN‐BPh. The 2PEN‐BPh oligomer was blended with bisphthalonitrile monomer, the curing reaction behaviors of the blends were studied by FTIR, DSC, and rheological analysis. The thermal and thermo‐oxidative stabilities of the 2PEN‐BPh/BPh polymers were investigated by TGA, and the results showed that the completely cured polymers could achieve char yields up to 78% at 800°C in nitrogen, above 11% at 800°C in air. The whole research indicated that the 2PEN‐BPh/BPh blends could efficiently improve the processability of BPh monomer without scarifying other desirable high temperature properties. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

Epoxides bearing azomethine linkages

Seven structurally different diepoxides, triepoxides or tetraepoxides bearing azomethine linkages were synthesized and characterized. The reactions of 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde or 3,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde with 4-aminophenol or 4-aminobenzoic acid afforded azomethines, which reacted subsequently with excess of epichlorohydrin in the presence of benzyltrimethylammonium bromide to yield diepoxides or triepoxides. Triepoxides were prepared by reacting 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde with 5-aminoisophthalic acid or 4-amino-2-hydroxybenzoic acid again to yield azomethines, which were subsequently reacted with epichlorohydrin. In addition, a tetraepoxide was prepared from the reaction of 1,4-benzenedicarbaldehyde with a double molar amount of 4-amino-2-hydroxybenzoic acid to afford a bisazomethine followed by reaction with epichlorohydrin. The epoxy compounds were characterized by IR and ¹H NMR spectroscopy. Their thermal polymerization in the presence of 4,4-diaminodiphenylsulfone (DDS) was investigated by DTA. Thermal stabilities of cured resins were ascertained by TGA and isothermal gravimetric analysis (IGA) in N₂ or air. The polymer derived from the tetraepoxide was the most heat-resistant. It was stable in N₂ up to 313°C and afforded an anaerobic char yield of 58% at 800°C.     

The thermal stability investigation of microencapsulated ammonium polyphosphate/siloxane‐modified epoxy resin composites

In this investigation, epoxy resin composites containing phosphate and silicone were prepared from microencapsulated ammonium polyphosphate (MFAPP) and poly(methylphenyl siloxane) (PMPS). Silicone‐containing epoxy (E‐S) copolymers were gained by the grafting reaction between ? OCH₃ of PMPS and ? OH of E51. And, a fixed weight of MFAPP was introduced to epoxy systems via the physical blending method. The chemical structure of the E‐S copolymer was determined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and ¹H‐NMR. The impact testing results revealed that the impact toughness was improved slightly. The thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) results demonstrated that the thermal degradation property in high temperature region and solid residue yield at 800 °C were enhanced remarkably with increasing PMPS content, whether the testing atmosphere was in nitrogen or oxygen. Moreover, an obvious synergistic effect of silicon and phosphorus on promoting the thermo‐oxidative degradation stability and solid residue at 800 °C was proved. Furthermore, the scanning electron microscope micrographs and FTIR result of residual charred crusts of EA‐S systems after the TGA testing in air manifested that the bubbled charred layer and silicon‐ and phosphorus‐containing residue took chief responsibility for thermo‐oxidative degradation property and solid residue yield. So the MFAPP/siloxane‐modified epoxy resin composites have a significant development prospect in high‐temperature resistant organic adhesives and coatings. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017 , 134 , 45272.     

Synthesis,characterization, and thermal properties of cyanate esters with azo linkages

A series of azo functionalized diols were synthesized through diazotization which involves the reaction of amine with phenol and 2,6‐dimethyl phenol. Four different amines have been used to prepare five bisphenols. These bisphenols were converted to their corresponding cyanate esters by treatment with cyanogen bromide (BrCN) in the presence of triethylamine (Et₃N). The chemical structures of the prepared compounds were characterized with Fourier Transform Infrared, ¹H‐NMR, ¹³C‐NMR spectroscopy, and elemental analysis. Dynamic curing behavior was investigated using differential scanning calorimetry. The maximum curing temperature of these cyanate esters are in the range of (186–208°C). T_g values of the polycyanurate networks are in the range of 245–276°C. The thermal properties of cured cyanate ester were studied at a heating rate of 10°C min^?1 in N₂ atmosphere. The polymers showed excellent thermal stability (T₁₀ was found to be in the range 405–438°C) and the percentage of char yield at 800°C were found to be 30–49. The flame retardancy of the cyanate ester resins have been studied using limited oxygen index value which is in the range of 29.5–37.1 at 800°C. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 55:47–53, 2015. © 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Effect of a novel phosphorus‐containing compound on the flame retardancy and thermal degradation of intumescent flame retardant polypropylene

A novel flame retardant, tetra(5,5‐dimethyl‐1,3‐ dioxaphosphorinanyl‐2‐oxy) neopentane (DOPNP), was synthesized successfully, and its structure was characterized by FT‐IR, ¹H NMR, and ³¹P NMR. The thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) results demonstrate that DOPNP showed a good char‐forming ability. Its initial decomposition temperature was 236.4°C based on 1% mass loss, and its char residue was 41.2 wt % at 600°C, and 22.9 wt % at 800°C, respectively. The flame retardancy and thermal degradation behavior of novel intumescent flame‐retardant polypropylene (IFR‐PP) composites containing DOPNP were investigated using limiting oxygen index (LOI), UL‐94 test, TGA, cone calorimeter (CONE) test, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results demonstrate that DOPNP effectively raised LOI value of IFR‐PP. When the loading of IFR was 30 wt %, LOI of IFR‐PP reached 31.3%, and it passed UL‐94 V‐0. TGA results show that DOPNP made the thermal decomposition of IFR‐PP take place in advance; reduced the thermal decomposition rate and raised the residual char amount. CONE results show that DOPNP could effectively decrease the heat release rate peak of IFR‐PP. A continuous and compact char layer observed from the SEM further proved the flame retardance. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011.     

Polyamides and polyimides prepared from diaminomaleonitrile and their cross-linking to thermally stable resins

Unsaturated cyano-substituted polyamide and polyimides were prepared from the reactions of diaminomaleonitrile with terephthaloyl dichloride and tetracarboxylic dianhydrides such as pyromellitic dianhydride and benzophenone tetracarboxylic dianhydride. The polymers were characterized by inherent viscosity measurements, by FTIR and ¹H-NMR spectroscopy, as well as by DTA and TGA. They were soluble in polar aprotic solvents and certain strong inorganic and organic acids. Upon curing at 300°C for 70 h, cross-linked polymers were obtained that were stable up to 397–426°C in N₂ or air and afforded anaerobic char yield of 56–61% at 800°C. Their glass transition temperatures as determined by the thermal mechanical analysis (TMA) method were 210–249°C. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Synthesis of vinyl substitute poly(silphenylene‐siloxane) via silyl hydride‐dialkoxysilane process

The synthesis of vinyl‐substituted silphenylene‐siloxane polymer through B(C₆F₅)₃ catalyzed polycondensation of 1,4‐bis(dimethylsilyl)benzene and vinylmethyldimethoxysilane is described. ¹H‐NMR, ²⁹Si‐NMR, and UV spectroscopy indicate that the vinyl groups remain undamaged during the polycondensation reaction. No hydrosilylation side reaction is observed under the reaction conditions. The microstructure of the polymer is not perfectly alternating with a randomization of 20%. The temperature for 5% mass loss is 430°C in inert atmosphere and 417°C in oxidative atmosphere with a residue of 56% at 700°C. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2007