Abstract

Pyrolysis in air of the carborane-substituted polyphosphazene, {[NP({OCH2}2C2B10H 10)]0.5 [NP({OCH2}2C 2B9H10• NBu4)]0.5} n affords BPO4 crystals of varied sizes in the micro and nano regime.The materials were characterised by IR spectroscopy, SEM-EDAX, TEM, X-ray diffraction, and DTA analysis. A possible mechanism for the formation of these materials is discussed and compared with that found for the formation of metallic nanostructured materials from the pyrolysis of anchored organometallic derivatives of polyphosphazenes. © 2006 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.