Cryochemical synthesis of Mn-containing poly(p-xylylene)

A Mn-containing polymer was produced by solid-state photopolymerization of a cocondensated mixture of p-xylylene with Mn at 80 K. It was shown that during simultaneous deposition p-xylylene and Mn formed both sigma- and pi-complexes. Irradiation of the system by UV light resulted in polpmerization of p-xylylene with the destruction of the unstable pi-complexes, while the sigma-bonded compounds were incorporated into the polymer chains. Complexes of Mn with benzyl-type radicals of the polymerized system were also observed. Prolonged storage of the polymerized material at ambient temperature under vacuum led to the gradual decomposition of the organomanganese compounds and complexes.