Synthesis and light-emitting properties of C-60-containing poly(1-phenyl-1-butyne)s

While WCl6-Ph4Sn is a poor catalyst for the polymerization of 1-phenyl-1-bu tyne (PB) at room temperature, it effectively polymerizes PB in the presenc e of C-60, giving high molecular weight polymers in high yields. The polyme rs are soluble in common solvents such as THF and chloroform, and spectrosc opic analysis reveals that C-60 has copolymerized with PB. Thus, C-60 plays the dual roles of comonomer and cocatalyst in the acetylene polymerization . While it has often been reported that C-60 quenches photoluminescence (PL ) of conjugated copolymers, the C-60-containing polyacetylene emits strong blue light, whose intensity is about two times higher than that of the PL o f the parent PPB. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.