Synthesis of inorganic-organic diblock copolymers as a precursor of ordered mesoporous SiCN ceramic

A novel poly(vinyl)silazane-block-polystyrene diblock copolymer is successfully synthesized by living free-radical polymerization via a reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) route (see figure). The obtained diblock copolymer, having an inorganic volume fraction of 0.69, leads to phase-separation at the nanoscale to form an ordered nanostructure, which is converted to well-ordered mesoporous SiCN ceramic after heating at 800 degrees C and maintained up to 1400 degrees C.