Polyacetylenes polymerization

Figure 18. Scanning electron micrograph of a left-handed helical morphology formed by polyacetylene polymerized in a chiral nematic reaction field. (Reprinted with permission from ref 284. Copyright 1998 American Association for the Advancement of Science.)...

The disordered nature of the amorphous phase has prevented the direct determination of the structural parameters by the usual structural techniques such as X-ray diffraction. Solid-state NMR can give us those parameters even for amorphous samples. Yannoni and Clark [14] applied nutation NMR spectroscopy, which is specifically designed to measure interatomic distances, to determine the bond lengths in both the cis- and tran -polyacetylenes. They used polyacetylene polymerized from a mixture of 4% doubly C-enriched acetylene and doubly depleted acetylene. In Fig. 7.6, the observed and simulated proton decoupled nutation spectra of the cis sample are shown. The sharp peak in the centre arises from the isolated nuclei in the sample. The remainder of the spectrum is a Pake-doublet arising from the dipolar coupling of adjacent nuclei in the polyacetylene. The best fit to the observed spectrum corresponds to a distribution of bond length with... 

The polarized reflectivity, in the energy range between 0.06 and 0.6 eV, is shown in Fig.l. The measurements on highly oriented (draw ratio 7) cis -polyacetylene, (polymerized with a procedure described elsewhere [5]), were performed by a Bruker 113v Fourier transform spectrometer, equipped with a I S-5 polarizer. 

Polyacetylene can be prepared by two major routes. When Ziegler catalysts, e.g., TijOBujyAlEtj in toluene, are exposed to acetylene gas, pol5merization ensues to give powders or films of polyacetylene. Polymerization conditions are rather critical. Although cw-stereochemistry is initially observed, the cis-polymer isomerizes to the thermodynamically stable trans-iorm even below room terrqierature. The final transpolyacetylene obtained by this route is generally referred to as Shirakawa-polyacetylene. 

Polyacetylenes. The first report of the synthesis of a strong, flexible, free-standing film of the simplest conjugated polymer, polyacetylene [26571-64-2] (CH), was made in 1974 (16). The process, known as the Shirakawa technique, involves polymerization of acetylene on a thin-film coating of a heterogeneous Ziegler-Natta initiator system in a glass reactor, as shown in equation 1. 

Much effort has been expended toward the improvement of the properties of polyacetylenes made by the direct polymerization of acetylene. Variation of the type of initiator systems (17—19), annealing or aging of the catalyst (20,21), and stretch orientation of the films (22,23) has resulted in increases in conductivity and improvement in the oxidative stabiHty of the material. The improvement in properties is likely the result of a polymer with fewer defects. 

A drawback to the Durham method for the synthesis of polyacetylene is the necessity of elimination of a relatively large molecule during conversion. This can be overcome by the inclusion of strained rings into the precursor polymer stmcture. This technique was developed in the investigation of the ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) of benzvalene as shown in equation 3 (31). 

There are several approaches to the preparation of multicomponent materials, and the method utilized depends largely on the nature of the conductor used. In the case of polyacetylene blends, in situ polymerization of acetylene into a polymeric matrix has been a successful technique. A film of the matrix polymer is initially swelled in a solution of a typical Ziegler-Natta type initiator and, after washing, the impregnated swollen matrix is exposed to acetylene gas. Polymerization occurs as acetylene diffuses into the membrane. The composite material is then oxidatively doped to form a conductor. Low density polyethylene (136,137) and polybutadiene (138) have both been used in this manner. 

Growth mechanism of a (9n,0) tubule, over 24n coordination sites of the catalyst. The growth of a general (9 ,0) tubule on the catalyst surface is illustrated by that of the (9,0) tubule in Fig. 16 which shows the unsaturated end of a (9,0) tubule in a planar representation. At that end, the carbons bearing a vacant bond are coordinatively bonded to the catalyst (grey circles) or to a growing cis-polyacetylene chain (oblique bold lines in Fig. 16). Tlie vacant bonds of the six c/s-polyacetylene chains involved are taken to be coordinatively bonded to the catalyst [Fig. 16(b)]. These polyacetylene chains are continuously extruded from the catalyst particle where they are formed by polymerization of C2 units assisted by the catalyst coordination sites. Note that in order to reduce the number of representations of important steps, Fig. 16(b) includes nine new Cj units with respect to Fig. 16(a). 

Polyacetylenes (or Polyynesj. See under Acetylenic Condensation and Polymerization Products in Vol 1, A62-L to A63-L. Selected polyacetylene expl compds as an adjunct to this article are presented below, as well as addnl refs Addnl Refs 1) A.L. Henne K.W. Greenlee, Preparation and Physical Constants of Acetyl-... 

Acetylene (ethyne), C2H2, can be polymerized, (a) Draw the Lewis structure for acetylene and draw a Lewis structure for the polymer that results when acetylene is polymerized. The polymer has formula (CH), where n is large, (b) Consider the polymers polyacetylene and polyethylene. The latter has the formula (CH2)W and is an insulating material (plastic wrap is made of polyethylene), whereas polyacetylene is a darkly colored material that can conduct electricity when properly treated. On the basis of your answer to part (a), suggest an explanation for the difference in the two polymers. 

Formation of living polymers is not restricted to norbornene. For example, Grubbs successfully polymerized cyclooctatetraene to polyacetylene, and demonstrated the living nature of this polymer by forming block polymers with cyclooctadiene 19). 

Oxidative polymerization of trans-bis-deprotected 79 under Hay coupling conditions [54] yielded, after end-capping with phenylacetylene, the high-melting and readily soluble oligomers 80a-e with the poly (triacetylene) backbone [87,106] (Scheme 8). Poly(triacetylene)s [PTAs,-(C=C-CR=CR-C=C) -] are the third class of linearly conjugated polymers with a non-aromatic allcarbon backbone in the progression which starts with polyacetylene [PA,... 

The oxidation and/or reduction reactions yield polymeric systems having an extended Jt-electron system along the chain. Doping to the conducting state, in the instance of polyacetylene by exposnre to iodine vapor (p-doping, oxidizing). 

Shirakawa polyacetylene, 444 Siloxanes, polymerization, 239 Size exclusion chromatography, 262-263 Solubility, specialty polymers, 256 Spacers, flexible polymer backbones, 97 Specialty polymers, polar/ionic groups, 256 Stability, polymers, 256 Storage moduli, vs. temperature behavior, 270... 

All important electronically conducting polymers, except perhaps for polyacetylene, can be prepared electrochemically by anodic oxidation of the monomers. The reaction is initiated by splitting off two hydrogen atoms from the monomer molecule (H—M—H), which subsequently polymerizes by interconnecting thus activated sites ... 

A route to processible polyacetylene, devised initially using classical initiators (Scheme 1i) 576-578 has been developed using well-defined molybdenum initiators to prepare conjugated polymers.579-585 They have also been employed to prepare polyacetylene via the polymerization of cyclooctate-traene, COT,586 and by the isomerization of poly(benzvalene).587 588 Substituted, and hence soluble, polyacetylene derivatives may be synthesized by polymerizing monosubstituted COT substrates.589-591... 

Mo2(0R)6 compounds in hydrocarbon solvents rapidly polymerize acetylene to a black metallic-looking form of polyacetylene. Propyne is polymerized to a yellow powder, while but-2-yne yields a gelatinous rubber-like material (45). The detailed nature of these polymers is not yet known and the only molybdenum containing compounds recovered from these polymerization reactions were the Mo2(0R)6 compounds. When the reactions were carried out in the presence of pyridine/hexane solvent mixtures, simple adducts Mo2(0R)6(py)2(ac) were isolated for R = i-Pr and CH2-t-Bu, and ac = HCCH, MeCCH and MeCCMe (45,46). 

G A. Ozin, University of Toronto In view of the current interest in electrically conducting, undoped and doped polyacetylene thin films, do you envisage any possibility of initiating a controlled polymerization of a metal-metal triply bonded organometallie complex to produce a species of the form ... 

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