Polymerization of Mono- and Bi-functional Diacetylene Derivatives in Monolayers at the Gas-Water Interface

The spreading and polymerization behaviour of long chain acids and phospholipid analogues containing diacetylene groups is described. Especially the polymerization in monolayers is followed spectroscopically with a new device used in connection with a commercial UV spectrometer. The polymerization is topochemically controlled. Sonification of the phospholipid analogues in water results in the formation of liposomes with multilayered membranes. Polymerization of the liposomes in water forms aqueous solutions of polymer vesicles.

Polymerization of diacetylene carbonic acid monolayers at the gas-water interface

Polymerization of mono- and multilayer forming diacetylenes

Heptadeca-2,4-diine-1-ol and Heptadeca-2,4-diine-1-acid were synthesized and their polymerization behaviour in the solid state was investigated. Both compounds polymerize thermally below the melting point and photochemically under the action of uv-light to form polymers via 1,4-addition to the conjugated triple bonds with a backbone of conjugated double-and triple-bonds. The photoresponse spectra resemble the absorption spectra exhibiting maxima of photoreactivity in the absorption band of the conjugated triple bonds of the monomers.

Monolayer Polymerization of Diacetylene Monocarbonic Acids at the Gas-Water-Interface