Spectroscopic studies of polydiacetylenes

Despite their potential importance, there are few spectroscopic studies of polymerizable surfactants. The only well-characterized polymerized surfactants are the polydiacetylenic fatty acids. The polymerization mechanism (1,4 addition) was only recently discovered as a result of studies on crystals of non-surfactant monomers which become brightly colored on polymerization [1], indicating the formation of polymer concurrent with a solid-solid phase transition. Several groups, particularly that of Ringsdorf, have pioneered the study of polydiacetylenic fatty acids [2-5]. A significant amount of spectroscopic work has been done on non-surfactant polydiacetylenes [6-9]. In addition, Lando and co-workers have used electron diffraction from mono- and bilayers of fatty acids to establish the conformation of the diacetylene backbone chains in this ordered surfactant system [10,11], and others have performed Raman spectroscopy on Langmuir-Blodgett films of similar surfactants [12]. This provides one with a powerful "basis set" of information from which to study other polydiacetylenic systems. 

The complex morphology of most conjugated polymers prevents direct measurement, and hinders understanding, of their intrinsic properties. Such problems do not occur for the polydiacetylenes, which can be prepared as macroscopic single crystals. Since polydiacetylenes can also be obtained in less perfect forms the effects of disorder can be studied. Spectroscopic techniques have been widely used to study the intrinsic properties of polydiacetylenes and their modification by disorder. The results obtained by optical and electron spin resonance spectroscopy are discussed. 

FTIR spectroscopy and near-infrared-FT-Raman spectroscopy were used to study the molecular stmctural transformations which occurred during thermal treatment of several nitroxyl substituted diacetylene monomers. These spectroscopic techniques were also used to investigate the solid state polymerisation reactions of the nitroxyl-substituted monomers, classic diacetylenes and of polydiacetylenes. The results were discussed. 7 refs. RUSSIA... 

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