“Titration” polymerization of monovinylacetylene

A polymer consisting of a saturated carbon backbone with pendent acetylenic groups was prepared from monovinylacetylene. A titration was performed between the monomer and tertiary butyllithium, its lithiating agent. The charge transfer complex formed between the solvent THF and the tertiary butyllithium was used as an indicator of the unreacted butyllithium. Hence, a stoichiometric quantity of tertiary butyllithium was added dropwise to a solution of monovinylacetylene in THF to form lithiovinylacetylene. The addition of a slight excess of butyllithium led to the polymerization of the lithiated monomer. The obtained polymer was reprotonated and characterized. This polymerization was evaluated as a possible route to synthesize poly(vinylacetylene) with processable molecular weights, for its application as a potential carbon fiber precursor. (C) 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.