SYNTHESIS AND PARTIAL CHARACTERIZATION OF A NEW LOW GAP POLYMER - POLY-2(5)-PROPENYLIDENEPYRROLE

As a result of previous studies on the reactivity of I-selenoallyl cat ionic species with pyrroles, a synthetic scheme, based on the dramatic solvent effects on the regiochemistry of these reactions, has been de vised for the preparation of the polymeric material 6 composed of alte rnating propenyl and pyrrole units. It is argued that oxidation of 6 u sing Ph3CSbCl6 or DDQ produces the title compound 8 where every other alternating pyrrole ring should have a quinoid structure. In agreement with theoretical predictions of bandgap lowering by these quinoid str ucture units, preliminary measurements on the undoped and iodine-doped 8 gave conductivity values of sigma=1.1 x 10(-6) and sigma=(2.4-5.4) X 10(6) OMEGA-1 cm-1, respectively.