Acid-catalyzed polycondensation of bisdiazoalkanes

Dimerization reactions of diphenyldiazomethane have been applied to the polycondensation of six bisdiazobenzyl arylenes, namely 1,4- and 1,3-bis(α-diazobenzyl)-benzenes C₆H₅CN₂? (C₆H₄)? CN₂C₆H₅; 1,4- and 1,3-bis(α-diazo-p-methoxybenzyl)-benzenes, p,p′-MeO? C₆H₄? CN₂? (C₆H₄)? CN₂C₆H₄? OMe; 4,4′-bis(α-diazobenzyl)-diphenylmethane, C₆H₅CN₂? (C₆H₄CH₂C₆H₄)? CN₂C₆H₅; and 4,4′-bis(α-diazobenyl)-diphenyl ether, C₆H₅CN₂? (C₆H₄? O? C₆H₄)CN₂C₆H₅. Depending on the nature of the catalysts, polyene-arylenes (? C(Ar)?C(Ar)? C₆H₄)_n, and polyazine-arylenes, (? C(Ar)?N? N? C(Ar)? C₆H₄? )_n, can be obtained selectively by acid-catalyzed decomposition of these bisdiazoalkanes at room temperature. With perchloric acid and with arylsulfonic acids in strong polar media, polyene-arylenes are formed. On the other hand, boron trifluoride and arylsulfonic acids in solvents of low dielectric constant afford polyazine-arylenes. Less selective is the thermal decomposition at 75°C in toluene solution; it gives a polymer containing about 90% azine and 10% olefinic groups. All these polymers are soluble in common solvents. Their molecular weight vary from 3 200 to 5 000, i.e., X?_n from 12 to 20. The polyene-arylenes are very stable and decompose only around 500°C; the polyazine-arylenes are less stable and decompose around 370°C by losing nitrogen.