Polymer-Derived Ceramics and Their Applications
Summary
Polymer-derived ceramics (PDCs) represent a versatile class of advanced materials produced by thermal conversion of preceramic polymers into inorganic ceramics. This approach affords molecular‐level control over composition, enabling the synthesis of amorphous or nanocomposite ceramics such as silicon oxycarbide (SiOC), silicon carbonitride (SiCN) and more complex quaternary systems (e.g. SiAlBCN). The polymer route allows shaping by conventional plastic‐forming methods or additive manufacturing prior to pyrolysis, yielding fibres, coatings, membranes, foams and bulk components with tailored microstructures. PDCs display exceptional thermal stability up to 2000 °C, high creep and oxidation resistance, tunable electrical and thermal conductivities, and unique piezoresistive or electrochemical properties. These attributes have attracted interest across energy storage, high‐temperature sensing and protection, catalysis, separation membranes and structural composites. The ability to introduce dopants or fillers at the polymer stage yields finely dispersed secondary phases, conferring multifunctional performance in sectors as diverse as aerospace thermal barrier systems, lithium‐ion and sodium‐ion battery anodes, harsh‐environment sensors and porous supports for catalysis or gas separation.
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Polymer-Derived Ceramics and Their Applications publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in polymer-derived ceramics and their applications across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Preceramic polymer: Organic polymer that converts into a ceramic upon heat treatment through crosslinking and pyrolysis.
Pyrolysis: Thermal decomposition of organic precursors in inert atmosphere, yielding ceramic residues and volatile by‐products.
Silicon oxycarbide (SiOC): Amorphous ceramic containing Si–O–C bonds with free carbon domains, valued for thermal stability and tunable conductivity.
Nanocomposite: Composite material in which one phase has at least one dimension below 100 nm, enhancing mechanical, thermal or electrical properties.
Piezoresistivity: Change in electrical resistance in response to applied mechanical stress, exploited in pressure and strain sensors.
References
- Ceramic Nanocomposites from Tailor-Made Preceramic Polymers. Nanomaterials (2015).
- Organosilicon polymer-derived ceramics: An overview. Journal of Advanced Ceramics (2019).
- High-Temperature Properties and Applications of Si-Based Polymer-Derived Ceramics: A Review. Materials (2021).
- Structural evolution and high-temperature sensing performance of polymer-derived SiAlBCN ceramics. Journal of Advanced Ceramics (2024).
- Collaborative Hollow Porous Structure Design and N Doping to Achieve a Win–Win Situation of “Stable” and “Fast” Lithium Battery. SusMat (2024).
- Temperature-mediated structural evolution of vapor–phase deposited cyclosiloxane polymer thin films for enhanced mechanical properties and thermal conductivity. International Journal of Extreme Manufacturing (2023).
- Si-based polymer-derived ceramics for energy conversion and storage. Journal of Advanced Ceramics (2022).
- Planar, Polysilazane‐Derived Porous Ceramic Supports for Membrane and Catalysis Applications. Journal of the American Ceramic Society (2015).
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