Vapor deposition polymerization of heteroatom-bridged [2.2]paracyclophanes: 1,9-dithia[2.2]paracyclophane and 1,9-dithia[2.2]paracyclophane-1,1,9,9-tetroxide

1,9-Dithia2.2]paracyclophane-1,1,9,9-tetroxide ( 3 ) was synthesized as white needles in a high yield from 1,9-dithia2.2]paracyclophane ( 2 ) by oxidation with m-chloroperbenzoic acid, and its molecular structure was determined with single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Vapor deposition polymerizations of 2 and 3 gave amorphous and brittle polymer films along with considerable amounts of nonpolymeric byproducts. A polymer film from 2 was a copolymer of p-(phenylene-methylenesulfide) with p-(phenylene-methylene) units, and a polymer film from 3 was a homopolymer of p-(phenylene-methylene) units with head-to-tail, head-to-head, and tail-to-tail placements. The elimination of sulfur atoms in 2 and sulfone units in 3 took place during their pyrolysis reactions. Plausible mechanisms for vapor deposition polymerizations of both cyclophanes are proposed. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 39: 1892–1900, 2001