Towards the Design of New Materials: Regio- and Stereoselective (Cyclo-) Polymerization of 1-Alkynes and 1,6-Heptadiynes

Summary. The metathesis polymerization, respectively cyclopolymerization, of 1-alkynes and 1,6-heptadiynes using well-defined group VIA transition metal initiators is summarized. For purposes of comparison, selected quaternary catalytic systems used as alternatives as well as the properties of the resulting materials will be presented. Special consideration is given to the mechanistic advancements that have been made during the last decade, which allow the tailor-made synthesis of conjugated materials with interesting optical and electronic properties. E-mail: michael.r.buchmeiser@uibk.ac.at Received November 20, 2002; accepted November 21, 2002