Synthesis of polyynes (and ene-ynes) segments by dechlorination reactions of chlorinated polyethylene wax and chlorinated docosane

High density polyethylene oligomers and docosane (C22H46) were subjected to a photochlorination reaction to a chlorine content above 70% as checked by thermogravimetry. The resulting chlorinated materials were dehydrohalogenated by potassium hydroxide in different conditions with simple reaction routes. It is shown by FT-IR, C-13-NMR and electronic spectroscopy that soluble low molecular weight polymers were formed having polyyne-ene and polyene-yne segments. These new soluble polymeric materials are of potential interest both in the field of optics and electronics as well as in the understanding the cosmochemical problem of the molecules in interstellar space. (C) 2000 Kluwer Academic Publishers.