Sciencemadness Discussion Board

(Poly)hydridocarbyne

akinmad - 4-3-2008 at 08:18

(Poly)hydridocarbyne is a polymer used for creating diamond like carbon (DLC) or even diamonds themselves.

However the polymer itself is hard to synthesize. It involves dangerous chemicals (like potassium alloys) and hard-to-implement methods (like supersonic mixing, etc.)

Recently two local scholar and an American scholar (Prof. Dr. Levent Toppare, Assistant Assoc. Prof. Michael Pitcher and Yusuf Nur) invented a dirt cheap and easy-to-implement method to synthesize the polymer which can even be described as kitchen improvised diamond(like carbon). ;)

Although the sources I have say their procedure was registered with the relevant international patent offices, I fail to find any patents or articles of them. And they are continuously on international seminars. :mad: (i.e. I can't reach them) However local sources speculates (in layman terms) that their procedure involves a 6 volt battery pack (4 AA sized batteries), a glass container in which polymer shall be synthesized, some regular table salt, some water to solve that salt, chloroform (which shall be electrolyzed) and a solvent to homogenize entire mixture.

As a result of the electrolysis, the above mentioned polymer is obtained. Such polymer solved in a suitable solvent is applied to various substrates and pyrolized at temperatures ranging between 100 - 1000 degree Centigrade and voila we have DLC or (at higher temperatures) hexagonal diamond.

In addition a related compound called Poly_(methylsilyne) is very interesting which is used for Silicon Carbide coatings.

After this prelude (which I hope is illuminating and contributing), I would like to have your feedbacks and if possible articles related thereto.

While (as can be understood from the prelude above) I have some ideas about the first compound I failed to find any synthetical methods for the latter. Any ideas?

[Edited on 4-3-2008 by akinmad]

not_important - 4-3-2008 at 09:12

that was easy, took couple of minutes.

Sounds similar to several other solution-based reports, except this one produces the hydrocarbon polymer that must be heated (to 1000 C per WPO doc) to convert it diamond-like material.

Only technical report I could find was at a conference

European Materials Research Society
E-MRS 2007 Spring Meeting
(Strasbourg, May 28 - June 1, 2007)
Protective coatings and thin films 07
Diamond and silicon carbide ceramics from electrically produced polymers
Authors : Michael W. Pitcher, Yusuf Nur and Levent K. Toppare, Department of Chemistry, METU, 06531 Ankara, Turkey
Resume : Pre-ceramic polymers are an important class of polymer that produce ceramic materials upon heating. Generally, the most sought after of these types of polymers are ones which form tough, hard-wearing ceramic materials with high thermal stabilities. Examples of this are polymers which form silicon carbide, silicon nitride and boron nitride ceramics on pyrolysis. Perhaps the most highly prized pre-ceramic polymer is one which can be thermolytically converted to diamond or diamond like carbon. Here, we report the syntheses of such polymers simply, using electricity. Since the polymers are soluble the production of diamond and other ceramic objects such as films, fibers and coatings of any size and shape are feasible. It is hoped that the ease of the synthesis will make these types of polymers accessible to scientists from all disciplines and that the potential applications for these materials, which range from electrical to biomedical, are finally realized..





[Edited on 4-3-2008 by not_important]

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akinmad - 4-3-2008 at 10:09

Quote:
Originally posted by not_important
that was easy, took couple of minutes.

Thank you very much!...
Quote:

must be heated (to 1000 C per WPO doc) to convert it diamond-like material.

Actually one of the source I have mentions ONLY 1000 degree Celcius, but I'm speculating based on the Wikipedia page. :(

And while I can reach some symposia, conferences, etc., finding something and getting the reports is another thing.TIA

[Edited on 4-3-2008 by akinmad]

[Edited on 4-3-2008 by akinmad]