A NOVEL REDOX SYSTEM CONSISTING OF PI-CONJUGATED POLYMERS AND TRANSITION-METALS

Coordination of pi-conjugated polymers to transition metals constructs a novel redox system due to interchangeable various oxidation states of the polymers, which permits transition metals to interact with each other through a pi-conjugate chain. The redox characteristics were fo und to depend on the electronic interaction with metals and the doping . A combination of copper(II) or iron(III) chloride and polyanilines a fforded the complex catalysts with the higher oxidation capability for dehydrogenative oxidation. A catalytic system was also realized in th e transition-metal-induced oxidation reaction, in which pi-conjugated polymers serve as redox-active ligands participating in the reversible redox cycle. The Wacker oxidation of terminal olefins proceeded catal ytically in the presence of a catalytic amount of polyaniline or polyp yrrole derivative under oxygen.