Polyacetylene by a Chain-Growth Approach

Significance This work describes a chain-growth approach to polyacetylene derivatives via post-polymerization modifications. Monomer 1 was polymerized under free-radical conditions to obtain poly( 1 ) with polydispersity indexes of 1.20 and molecular weights of 33 kg/mol. This polymer was then brominated followed by spontaneous dehydrobromination to afford a polyacetylene with a narrow bandgap (1.4 eV) and a conductivity of 1.5 x 10 -5 S/m.