Objective
Conjugated polymers, either olefinic or aromatic, have proven to be electrically conductive after doping. Due to their intractability, the doping process typically involves the treatment of an insoluble material with a solution containing an oxidizing or reducing agent, which then creates cations or anions that are incorporated in the Pi-system, via a surface reaction. Nevertheless, doped polyacetylene shows electrical conductivities that are similar to those of metals.
The synthesis leading to the structurally most regular polyacetylene involves a ring-opening metathesis reaction (ROMP) to a precursor polymer which forms polyacetylene in an extrusion reaction. One idea in this regard is to make a polyacetylene accessible, which would automatically dope itself upon formation.
This project is aimed at studying the ROMP of substituted
bicyclo(6.1.0)nona- 2,4,6-triene (1). Precursor polymer 2 is anticipated to be soluble and therefor processible; it should furnish a polyacetylene carrying a positive charge every ninth carbon atom via the
cyclopropyl/allyl isomerization, thus cationic species will be created not at the surface as in common doping processes but in the bulk of the material as a whole.
Fields of science
Call for proposal
Data not availableFunding Scheme
RGI - Research grants (individual fellowships)Coordinator
DH1 3LE Durham
United Kingdom