CHAPTER 13: Si–Si Bond Polymers, Oligomers, Molecules, Surface, and Materials

Silicon – the group-4 element located in the third row of the periodic table – now has a rich family of new compounds with Si–Si frameworks such as attractive polymers and novel compounds, which are the result of much effort by researchers who devoted their work to silicon chemistry, silicon physics, silicon surface, and silicon material science. The compounds in the Si family have unique properties and inherent characteristics and they are not mere analogues of organic polymers and compounds. This chapter comprehensively outlines the fundamental ideas and synthetic approaches for producing the Si–Si frameworks, which are not limited to polysilanes. The results of previous studies can support new research on challenging novel Si–Si bond substances and the efficient design of these Si–Si bond substances.