Polymerization of acetylenes with rare earth coordination catalysts

The polymerization of acetylene and its derivatives by rare earth coordination catalysts and the characterization of the polymers so obtained in our laboratory are reviewed. Because of the metallic conductivity possessed by doped polyacetylene and the unique properties such as conductivity (semiconductivity), paramagnetism, migration and transfer of energy and chemical reactivity and complex formation ability often shown by acetylenic polymers, which seem promising as specialty polymers, there has been considerable interest in the polymers of acetylene and its derivatives. A wide variety of catalyst systems have been developed for the polymerization of acetylenes. But there has been no information concerning the use of rare earth compounds as catalysts in the polymerization of acetylene and its derivatives. We for the first time in 1981 have succeeded in the polymerization of acetylene with rare earth coordination catalysts, which in turn is a development based upon earlier work on the diene polymerization using rare earth coordination catalysts(Ref. 1). Using rare earth catalysts, acetylene can be polymerized conveniently into high cis polyacetylene films with metallic sheen at room temperature and phenylacetylene can also be polymerized into high molecular weight, high cis polyphenylacetylene films at ambient temperature. Thus new varieties of polyacetylenes have been developed and a novel family of coordination catalysts consisting of a rare earth compound plus trialkyl aluminum for the polymerization of acetylenes has been exploited. This article reviews our studies on the polymerization of acetylene and its derivatives with rare earth coordination catalysts and on the characterization of the polyacetylenes prepared.