A general synthetic route to high molecular weight poly (p-xylylene)-derivatives : a new route to poly(p-phenylene vinylene)

Summary form only given. Recently we have developed in our laboratory a general scheme by which a broad variety of substituted poly(p-xylylene)s can be synthesized. This scheme has for instance led to the synthesis of a new in simple organic solvents soluble, high molecular weight precursor polymer for poly-p-phenylenevinylene (PPV). The latter is subject of an intens study on the field of Light Emitting Diodes (LED´s). The precursor polymer is stable at room temperature, can be stored as a solid or in solution and shows a narrow molecular weight dispersity (1.3 -1.6). We studied the mechanism of in situ monomer generation and identified the driving force for the monomer formation which allows us to vary the dispersity, the molecular weight and yield of the polymerization.