Low-temperature syntheses of polysilanes and polygermanes in diethyl ether

Abstract

Both soluble and insoluble polysilanes and an insoluble polygermane have been prepared in high yield and at moderate temperatures from the interactions of alkylaryl-, diaryl-, and dialkyl-dichlorosilanes and diphenyldichlorogermane with sodium sand in the presence of 1,4,7,10,13-pentaoxacyclopentadecane (15-crown-5) in refluxing diethyl ether.