PROPERTIES OF POLY(PARA-PHENYLENE)S AND THE PERDEUTERATED ANALOG

In the reported study, ESR data for poly(p-phenylene) (PPP) prepared from benzene and catalyst-oxidant systems were compared with data for PPP obtained by a variety of other methods. The results were similar, except for the Yamamoto preparation, and comparable to the spin densities for heterocyclic polymers of thiophene, pyrrole, and selenophene. Deuterated PPP from C//6D//6 showed significant differences in properties, in comparison to ordinary PPP, in relation to molecular weight, color, solubility, and spins/g in electron spin resonance (ESR). The implications are discussed with regard to the mechanism of benzene polymerization by AlCl//3-CuCl//2.