The scientific and technological challenges of energy-related fields are mainly associated with the emergence of new, advanced knowledge and fundamental understanding of materials. In the different categories of materials, ceramics offer a unique combination of physical and chemical properties making them key contributors for energy production/conversion and storage applications.
The Polymer-Derived Ceramics (PDCs) route offers new preparation opportunities in ceramic sciences. In particular, the organosilicon polymer backbone can be used as a highly reactive platform to link or coordinate lower-molecular weight transition metal (TM) complexes. The as-obtained pre-ceramic polymer will promote upon heat-treatment the precipitation of metallic or ceramic (TM carbides, nitrides and/or silicides) phases in a ceramic matrix composed of Si, C, N and/or O elements that contribute to dispatch PDC towards the energy field.
In this talk, we will present our last results on the modification of polysilazanes with metal-organic species to offer functionalities to the materials obtained after the thermo-chemical conversion of precursors. As a proof of concepts, we will investigate the optical and electrocatalytic properties of final in organic materials, namely nanocomposites, according to the composition of the transition metal-based phase.