Helical Polyacetylene Synthesized under Asymmetric Reaction Field Constructed with Chiral Nematic Liquid Crystals

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Abstract
Helical polyacetylene was synthesized under asymmetric reaction field constructed with chiral nematic liquid crystal (LC). The chiral nematic LC was prepared by adding a chiral phenylcyclohexyl (PCH) derivative, (R)- or (S)-PCH308*, as a dopant, into an equi-weighted mixture of two kinds of nematic LCs. Acetylene polymerization was carried out with Ti(O-n-Bu)4 - Et3Al catalyst dissolved in the chiral nematic LC. It is found from SEM measurements that the polyacetylene films is composed of helical fibrils that are bundles of polyene chains. CD spectrum of the polyacetylene film showed positive or negative Cotton effect, depending on the helicity of the chiral nematic LC.