Precursors to boron-nitrogen macromolecules and ceramics

Boron nitride has been prepared in the past from classical high temperature reactions and more recently by CVD methods. Few attempts have been made to prepare this important material from pyrolyses of preceramic oligomers or polymers. In the present study oligomerization reactions of substituted borazenes with silyamine crosslinking groups have been found to provide useful gel materials which upon pyrolysis form boron nitrogen materials. Selected aspects of this chemistry and some characterization of the materials is presented