Polymerization of phenylacetylene catalysed by arene–group VIBtricarbonyls

Abstract

ArM(CO)₃(Ar = arene; M = Cr, Mo, W) catalyses the polymerization of alkynes to relatively high molecular weights, which proceeds through an intermediate which has been isolated and identified as a ladder compound composed of fused cyclobutane rings; the final product is the linear, polyconjugated poly-(acetylene).