| Abstract: | Using a low activity system as a catalyst gives additional opportunities for study of polymerization mechanism. We made an attempt using phenylacetylene as a monomer to synthesize, separate, and identify oligomers of this alkyne on melting iron catalyst—“naked” metal. Four components with the lowest molecular weight were identified as: (compound 1) isomers of 1,2-diphenylcyclobutadiene, (compound 2) 1,3-diphenylcyclobutadiene, (compound 3) 1,4-diphenylbuten-1-yne-3, and (compound 4) triphenyl substituted Dewar benzene. It was shown, that in the presence of iron catalysts the phenylacetylene oligomerization proceeds as a linear polymerization through a 2 + 2 cycloaddition. |
