PHOTOCHEMICAL POLYMERIZATION OF OLIGOTHIOPHENE AND DITHIENOTHIOPHENE

Photochemical polymerization of oligothiophenes and dithienothiophenes were investigated. Photo-irradiation to solutions containing a series of the thiophene derivatives acid appropriate electron acceptor gave alpha-linked polymers having molecular weight of about 10(4) (vs. PSt. ). In the case of oligothiophenes, cation radicals of the monomers wer e efficiently generated through the photoinduced electron transfer fro m the triplet excited state to the electron acceptor. Then the success ive coupling reaction resulted in a formation of polymeric products. O n the other hand, photoinduced electron transfer from singlet excited state of dithienothiophenes to electron acceptor was suggested as a ge neration mechanism of their cation radicals.