FERROCENYLENEGERMANE POLYMERS AND COPOLYMERS

Ferrocenylenegermane polymers and copolymers (1) have been prepared, i n situ, by thermal treatment of the product from the reaction between dilithioferrocene and the corresponding R(2)GeCl(2), R = methyl (1a), ethyl (1b), n-butyl (1c), or their mixtures, Me(2)GeCl(2) + n-Bu(2)-Ge C1(2) (1d) and Et(2)GeCl(2) + n-Bu(2)GeCl(2) (1e). Thin films of the p olymers can exhibit both semicrystalline or amorphous morphology depen dent upon the nature of the alkyl group and/or mode of casting. When c ast from THF, 1c was observed as an amorphous material; however, after time a crystalline form was obtained. Films of mixed polymer systems, 1b + 1c, cast from THF immediately resulted in crystalline forms for both polymers, i.e., a seeding of 1c by 1b occurred. The diethyl/di-n- butyl copolymer was amorphous and elastomeric as was the dimethyl/di-n -butyl analog Cyclic voltammetry indicated the presence of two reversi ble redox couples in solution with potentials slightly higher than the Si analogs. The copolymers also exhibited distinctive electrochemistr y and not a combination of the two individual components.