Patent ID: 7906672

Claim:
A method of preparing SiC-NCs comprising: (a) reacting a compound of the Formula I: R 1 Si(X 1 ) 3 (I) wherein R 1 is selected from C 1-10 alkyl and C 6-14 aryl; and each X 1 is independently selected from Cl, Br, I and OC 1-10 alkyl, with a compound of the Formula II: Si(X 2 ) 4 (II) each X 2 is independently selected from Cl, Br, I and OC 1-10 alkyl, under conditions for the hydrolysis and condensation of the compound of the Formula I and the compound of the Formula II to form a siloxane polymer comprising repeating units of the Formula III: —[(R 1 SiO 1.5 ) x (SiO 2 ) y ]— (III) wherein R 1 is as defined above and x and y represent the molar ratio of R 1 SiO 1.5 to SiO 2 as determined by amounts of the Formula I and the compound of the Formula II used in the hydrolysis and condensation reaction; and (b) thermal processing the siloxane polymer comprising repeating units of the Formula III under conditions to form SiC-NCs; and (c) optionally liberating the SiC-NCs to provide freestanding SiC-NCs, wherein each alkyl and aryl in R 1 , X 1 and X 2 is independently unsubstituted or substituted with one or more halo.