Cyclic Polymers from Alkynes: Scope and Degradation

Abstract

Presented is the synthesis of cyclic polyacetylenes from alkynes and a study probing the functional group tolerance of catalyst 1 . The synthesized polymers were characterized by employing GPC, NMR, and IR spectroscopy. The cyclic polyacetylenes spontaneously degrade, leading to the formation of lower molecular weight linear analogues. The degradation rate varied significantly based on the monomer substituents. These discoveries collectively reveal the functional group limits of catalyst 1 and the subsequent stability of the synthesized polymers, thus opening new avenues for advanced polymer design and applications.