POLYMERIZATION OF TRIPROPARGYLAMINE BY TRANSITION-METAL CATALYSTS ANDMOLECULAR-STRUCTURE OF POLY(TRIPROPARGYLAMINE)

A novel highly conjugated polymer with two cyclic recurring units per monomeric unit was prepared from tripropargylamine using various trans ition metal catalysts. PdCl2, PtCl2, and RuCl3, were found to be effec tive catalysts, whereas the tungsten-based and molybdenum-based cataly sts gave a low yield of polymer. In the polymerization by PdCl2, DMF, DMSO, and pyridine were found to be good solvents. The resulting polym ers were brown or black powders and mostly insoluble in organic solven ts regardless of the polymerization conditions and the catalysts used. The solid-state C-13-NMR spectrum of poly(tripropargylamine) showed t he carbon peaks of the conjugated double bond on the polymer backbone at 110-150 ppm, which had been absent in the monomer. The chemical str ucture of polymer had a quasi-helical characteristic (TG(3)). The calc ulated identity period was 11.97 Angstrom. Furthermore, this polymer p ossessed less than a three-dimensional order with a noncrystalline mor phology.