Acetylene and Its Polymers

150+ Years of History

verfasst von: Prof. Seth C. Rasmussen

Verlag: Springer International Publishing

Buchreihe : SpringerBriefs in Molecular Science

Enthalten in: Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik" , Springer Professional "Technik"

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Über dieses Buch

This Brief presents for the first time a detailed historical overview of the development of acetylene polymers, beginning with the initial discovery of acetylene in 1836 and continuing up through the 2000 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. The polymerization of acetylene is most commonly associated with polyacetylene, which was found to be conductive when treated with oxidizing agents such as Br2 or I2 in the mid‐to‐late 1970s. In fact, under the right conditions, oxidized polyacetylenes can exhibit conductivities into the metallic regime, thus providing the first example of an organic polymer exhibiting metallic conductivity. As a consequence, the 2000 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Hideki Shirakawa, Alan MacDiarmid, and Alan Heeger for this pioneering research, the award citation reading “for the discovery and development of electrically conductive polymers.” Because of this, most incorrectly view polyacetylene, as well as conducting polymers in general, to originate in the 1970s.

In this work, the author examines the polymerization of acetylene from early thermal polymerization studies to the ultimate production of the fully conjugated polyacetylene. Although true polyacetylene was not successfully produced until the 1950s by Giulio Natta, the polymerization of acetylene dates back to 1866 with the work of Marcellin Berthelot. These initial efforts were continued by a range of scientists to produce a polymeric material collectively given the name cuprene in 1900 by Paul Sabatier. Between the initial cuprene studies and the production of true polyacetylene, two related materials were also studied, usually referred to as polyenes and polyvinylenes. Although both of these materials could be thought of as forms of polyacetylene, neither was actually generated from the direct polymerization of acetylene. Readers will gain insight into the fact that polyacetylene and conducting organic polymers have a much longer history than commonly believed and involved the work of a significant number of Nobel Laureates.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Frontmatter

Chapter 1. Introduction

Abstract

This introductory chapter presents an overview of the history of the gaseous hydrocarbons, including that of acetylene, which is the focus of the current volume. The isolation, synthesis, and applications of these species is presented, along with an introduction to the polymerization of unsaturated hydrocarbons.

Seth C. Rasmussen

Chapter 2. Acetylene

Abstract

The following chapter presents the early history of acetylene’s discovery, characterization, and production, with focus on the work of Edmund Davy, Marcelin Berthelot, and Thomas Willson.

Seth C. Rasmussen

Chapter 3. Cuprene

Abstract

Although the polymerization of acetylene is most commonly associated with the conjugated polymer, polyacetylene, the study of acetylene polymerizations predates the successful formation of polyacetylene by nearly a century. Such early polymerization efforts included both catalyzed and non-catalyzed thermal processes, as well as polymerization via electric discharge, UV irradiation, and α particle irradiation. All of these studies resulted in the production of a resinous material that was eventually given the name cuprene. The following chapter gives an overview of the history of cuprene from 1866 through the 1930s.

Seth C. Rasmussen

Chapter 4. Polyenes and Polyvinylenes

Abstract

Although not produced via the direct polymerization of acetylene, the following chapter will introduce the history of two earlier materials structurally related to the later formal polyacetylene. These two classes of materials were known as polyenes and polyvinylenes, two terms that at times have been used synonymously with polyacetylene.

Seth C. Rasmussen

Chapter 5. Polyacetylene

Abstract

Although the polymerization of acetylene had been studied since nearly its first isolation and large-scale production, none of the materials produced via these early attempts corresponded to the highly conjugated material that is now known as polyacetylene. The following chapter will present the history of polyacetylene from its initial successful production by Giulio Natta in 1955 through the production of polyacetylene films by Sakuji Ikeda and Hideki Shirakawa in the 1960s.

Seth C. Rasmussen

Chapter 6. Doped Polyacetylene

Abstract

This chapter will review the historical development of doped forms of polyacetylene that resulted in materials with increased conductivity. These highly conductive forms of polyacetylene were achieved via oxidation or reduction of the neutral polymer and such redox modified conjugated polymers are often referred to as doped materials in analogy to the doping of inorganic semiconductors such as silicon. The discussion will begin with the initial efforts of Donald Berets and Dorian Smith in 1968 and will continue up through the work of Herbert Naarmann in the 1980s.

Seth C. Rasmussen

Chapter 7. 2000 Nobel Prize in Chemistry

Abstract

The awarding of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry to Hideki Shirakawa, Alan MacDiarmid and Alan Heeger in 2000 elevated the awareness of polyacetylene among the general science community and cemented the place of this polymeric material in the history of chemistry.This final chapter discusses the details of the awarding of the 2000 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, with particular discussion on the nature of discovery.

Seth C. Rasmussen

Backmatter

Titel: Acetylene and Its Polymers
verfasst von: Prof. Seth C. Rasmussen
Verlag: Springer International Publishing
Electronic ISBN: 978-3-319-95489-9
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-95488-2
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-95489-9