Novel synthesis of electroconducting polymers from simple monomers with transition metal complex catalysts

Abstract

AbstractElectroconductive polyaromatics or polyarylenes have been successfully prepared by the oxidative polymerization of the corresponding simple monomers over the transition metal complex catalyst. For example, poly(1,4‐phenylene) was prepared from benzene by using oxygen as an oxidant and a copper(I) chloride‐aluminum chloride double complex as the catalyst. The same catalytic system was applied to the preparation of poly(2,5‐pyrrolylene) and poly(2,5‐thienylene) from pyrrole and 2,2′‐bithiophen, respectively. The electrochemical oxidative polymerization was also carried out for the preparation of the poly(1,4‐phenylene) and poly(1,4‐naphthylene) films in the presence of copper(I) chloride and aluminum chloride.