 Traditionally, polysilanes are prepared by the Wurtz-like sodium or potassium metal-mediated reductive coupling (dehalogenation) of dihaloorganosilanes (R2Si"X"2) in an inert solvent (e.g.toluene), very much like Burkhard's original method.Polysilynes have been similarly prepared from trihaloorganosilanes (RSi"X"3).