5. Study of polymerization mechanisms

When it comes to characterizing polymers in order to better control their structure and optimize their properties, it is often important to determine the chemical reaction mechanisms involved in polymerization. This is particularly difficult in the case of materials used at high temperatures, such as ceramics, which are produced by thermal decomposition of organometallic precursors such as polyvinylsilane or polysiloxane, or in the case of syntheses to obtain polymers with good thermostability properties (reaction with hexachlorophosphazene to form polyphosphazenes): ${(\begin{array}{ccccc}& {\mathrm{R}}_1& & & \\ & |& & & \\ —& \end{array}}_{}$