POLYNUCLEAR AND HALOGENATED STRUCTURES IN POLYPHENYLENES SYNTHESIZED FROM BENZENE, BIPHENYL, AND PARA-TERPHENYL UNDER VARIOUS CONDITIONS - CHARACTERIZATION BY LASER DESORPTION FOURIER-TRANSFORM MASS-SPECTROMETRY

Polyphenylenes made by reaction of benzene, biphenyl, or p-terphenyl with metal halide catalyst-oxidant systems are complex mixtures of dissimilar oligomers, which include halogenated and polynuclear structures, according to positive and negative-ion laser desorption/Fourier transform mass-spectral analyses. Polymerization of benzene with metal-chloride salts that terminate chain elongation by chlorination of the end rings appears to decrease formation of polynuclear structures by providing a competing pathway for chain termination. Polynuclear structures occur to a greater extent with oligomerization of biphenyl than with benzene.