CONDUCTIVE POLYMERS: AN OPPORTUNITY FOR NEW MONOMERS AND POLYMERS.

Abstract

This article is concerned with the utility of cyclopolymerization in the area of polyolefins particularly the cyclopolymerization of 1,6-heptadiyne to a soluble polymer using a heterogeneous Ziegler-Natta catalyst, and the oxidation of poly(1,6-heptadiyne) to a conductive state by exposure to iodine vapor. The study also examined the cyclopolymerization of propiolic anhydride. This process reported to yield polymer of molecular weights up to 25000 (200 double bonds) by anionic cyclopolymerization using mild nucleophiles in dimethylformamide (DMF) and by coordination polymerization using PdCl//2 in DMF. Other recent work on the oxidation of polyaromatic polymers to high conductivity is briefly discussed.