Metal oxide trialkylsilyloxide polymers. Part III. Tantalum oxide trimethylsilyloxide polymers

Abstract

The hydrolysis of Ta(OSiMe₃)₅ in dioxan–cyclohexane solution was incomplete at room temperature in contrast to the rapid and complete hydrolysis of tantalum alkoxides. The initial products of hydrolysis contained strongly bound dioxan and trimethylsilanol which were removed together with Ta(OSiMe₃)₅ at 120°in vacuo. The residual polymers [TaO_x(OSiMe₃)_{(5 – 2x)]n} were soluble in cyclohexane and their molecular weights were determined cryoscopically. The linear variation of n^–1 with x is discussed in terms of possible structures for the polymers.