Polymerization of Benzene Catalyzed by Aluminium Chloride-Copper(I) Chloride under Oxygen

Abstract Polymerization of benzene to poly(1,4-phenylene) has been succeeded under oxygen using an aluminium chloride-copper(I) chloride catalyst. Treatment of benzene with aluminium chloride/copper(I) chloride (3/1 molar ratio) under oxygen at 70 °C gave poly(1,4-phenylene) in 187% yield based on the molar quantity of copper(I) chloride. Extra addition of aluminium chloride in the course of the reaction increased the yield dramatically from 187% to more than 600%.