Approaches to conjugated polymers via new solid state polymerizations

Solid state polymerization is the most convenient approach for the synthesis of macroscopic polymer single crystals. Motivations for seeking fully crystalline specimens of conjugated polymers other than polydiacetylenes (PDA) are presented. The thermal reactivity of p-ethynylbenzoiic acid (EBA) is found to be a topochemically initiated solid state polymerization. The studies of EBA led to a new paradigm for solid state reactivity in such systems. Systems related to the paradigm, namely p-cyanobenzoic acid (CNBA) and p-cyanocinnamic acid (CNCA) have been studied. Sublimation competed with thermal processes in CNBA and CNCA, and a detailed product description has proved difficult to date. Thermochromism and charge-transfer transitions in PDA are discussed.