Oxidative conversions of biphenylene

Summary form only given. The study of the reactions of tricyclic aromatic hydrocarbon biphenylene (bph) is of interest owing to the potential production of a superconducting polymer on its base. Bph was found to be polymerized under the action of aluminium chloride in noncoordinating solvents with the formation of a polymer with an irregular structure containing at least three types of structural fragments. The interaction of bph with Pd(CF/sub 3/COO)/sub 2/ (A) in CF/sub 3/COOH leads to the cleavage of C-C bond of bph cyclobutane ring and the formation of o-polyphenylens modified with (A). Its formation was confirmed by using elemental analysis, IR- and XP-spectroscopy. In both cases the polymers formed were nonconducting. Galvanostatic oxidation of bph was carried out on platinum electrode (S=/sub 2/cm/sup 2/) at current density i=1-1,/sub 2/mA/cm/sup 2/ in anhydrous oxygen free 0,05M Bu/sub 4/NBF/sub 4/ solution in CH/sub 2/Cl/sub 2/. It was found that a black coating with /spl sigma/ and g-factor equal to 10/sup -4/cm/sup -1/om/sup -1/ and 2,0028 respectively was deposited onto electrode surface. Its elemental analysis is in accordance with stoichiometric formula (C/sub 6/H/sub 4/)/sub 3/(BF/sub 4/)/sub 2/and evidences the destruction of biphenylene molecules during the electrolysis.