Polymer chains electron transfer

As a result of the same intra-chain rr-bonding and the relatively strong inter-chain electron transfer interaction, the mechanical properties (Young s modulus and tensile strength) of conjugated polymer are potentially superior to those of saturated polymers. Thus, metallic polymers offer the promise of truly high performance high conductivity plus superior mechanical properties. 

Fig. 4. Chemistry of poly(vinyl cinnamate) negative-acting resist. Initial light absorption by the photosensitizer is followed by energy transfer to produce a pendant cinnamate group in a triplet electronic state. This combines with a second cinnamate on another polymer chain, forming a polymer—polymer...

The size-exclusion and ion-exchange properties of zeoHtes have been exploited to cause electroactive species to align at a zeoHte—water interface (233—235). The zeoHte thus acts as a template for the self-organization of electron transfer (ET) chains that may find function as biomimetic photosynthetic systems, current rectifiers, and photodiodes. An example is the three subunit ET chain comprising Fe(CN)g anion (which is charge-excluded from the anionic zeoHte pore stmcture), Os(bipyridine)3 (which is an interfacial cation due to size exclusion of the bipyridine ligand), and an intrazeoHte cation (trimethylamino)methylferrocene (F J ). A cationic polymer bound to the (CN) anion holds the self-assembled stmcture at an... 

Barium and strontium salts of polystyrene with two active end-groups per chain were prepared by Francois et al.82). Direct electron transfer from tiny metal particles deposited on a filter through which a THF solution of the monomer was percolated yields the required polymers 82). The A.max of the resulting solution depends on the DPn of the formed oligomers, being identical with that of the salt of polymers with one active end-group per chain for DPn > 10, but is red-shifted at lower DPn. Moreover, for low DPn, (<5), the absorption peak splits due to chromophor-chromophor interaction caused by the vicinity of the reactive benzyl type anions. 

However, another obstacle to high bulk conductivity of such a polymer exists. In view of the hnite length and vast number of constitutive polymer chains, bulk conduction requires electrons to jump between chains (or polarons to transfer between chains in the opposite direction). It is obvious, then, that local order, crystallinity, and good contact between the different crystal domains in the polymer are further prerequisites for conduction. 

Figure 4. Schematic of electron transfer processes for 2,6-disubstituted phenol. The ligand groups are indicated as Am and the intermediate polymer chain segments as straight lines, (a) Hydroxo-bridged catalyst (b) chloro-bridged catalyst.

The degree of polymerization depends on the duration of the process. After 7 min, the molecular mass is equal to 9400 (the polydispersity index is 5.30). When the reaction is carried out for 15 min, the molecular mass of the polymer increases to 37,000 and the polydispersity index reaches 7.31 (Bauld et al. 1996). Depending on whether cation-radical centers arise at the expense of intramolecular electron transfer or in a stepwise intermolecular lengthening, polymerization can occur, respectively, through a chain or a step-growth process (Bauld and Roh 2002). In the reaction depicted in Scheme 7.17, both chain and step-growth propagations are involved. 

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