POLYRADICALS - SYNTHESIS, SPECTROSCOPY, AND CATALYSIS

Polyradicals are polymers with saturated or conjugated backbones conta ining a succession of paramagnetic centres. Synthetic strategies and m ethods of characterization are described with examples of each. Unconj ugated polyradicals, e.g. poly(TEMPOacrylate), are useful catalysts fo r the oxidation of amines and alcohols. Conjugated polyradicals includ e polypyrroles and polythiophenes functionalized with nitroxide, quino ne, and viologen units. Polyradical-coated electrodes catalyse redox r eactions of organic substrates. Spin cooperation may be induced by cer tain structural features. Developments in the search for organic ferro magnets are surveyed. Possibilities for superconductivity in polyradic als are briefly treated.