Poly(di-n-alkyl-stannane)s studied by Grazing Incidence X-ray Diffraction (GIXD)

Abstract

A novel class of σ-σ conjugated polymers, poly(di-n-alkyl-stannane)s, cf. Fig. 1, has recently attracted a lot of attention owing to their electrical properties, including relatively low band gaps [1]. These exotic linear polymers consists of a backbone consisting only of tin atoms and have been synthesized with varying lengths of the alkyl side chains. While a number of different synthetic routes to high-molecular-weight polystannanes has been explored, an efficient synthesis has until recently been missing, and thus relatively little is known about the processing and material properties of these interesting organometallic polymers. Using a novel synthesis, however, it is possible to obtain polystannanes of unprecedented quality.