Acrylonitrile, inclusion compounds with

Recently, electron-transfer catalysis by viologen compounds has attracted much attention. The compounds function as mediators of electron transfer and have been applied in the reduction of aldehydes, ketones, quinines, azobenzene, acrylonitrile, nitroalkenes, etc., with zinc or sodium dithionite in a monophase or a two-liquid phase system [13]. Noguchi et al. [13] found that a redox-active macrocyclic ionene oligomer, cyclobis(paraquat-/ -phenylene), acted as an electron phase-transfer catalyst for the reduction of quinines, as compared with acyclic benzyl viologen. The enhanced activity of this compound is due to the inclusion of the substrate into the catalyst cavity. 

Historically, Clasen [61] reported the first example of inclusion polymerization of 2,3-dimethylbutadiene in thiourea. It took months to obtain polymers because he used no initiators. Brown and White described [62] inclusion complexes using urea or thiourea with various low molecular weight compounds, including some monomers, such as butadiene, styrene, 2,3-dimethylbutadiene, and acrylonitrile. They obtained polymers by irradiating the inclusion complexes of the monomers with 7-rays or X-rays. 

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