ABSTRACTPolysilane/inorganic (silica, titania) nano-hybrids might be attractive materials for organic photonics. Polymethylphenylsilane (PMPS)/silica nano-hybrid thin films were prepared by a sol-gel reaction of PMPS block copolymers with alkoxysilanes. The refractive index of hybrid thin films could be controlled with the composition ratio of PMPS, and the value was changed by UV irradiation accompanying photodecomposition of PMPS. After development of the irradiated hybrid thin films, nano porous (ca. 20nm) silica thin films were generated by removing the decomposed PMPS segments and a high refractive index difference occurred between irradiated and non-irradiated part in the hybrid thin films. Furthermore, under photodecomposition of polysilane copolymers, polysilane functioned as a reducing agent of gold (III) ions to prepare the gold nanoparticles.
Hybrid zirconium sol-gel thin films with high refractive index