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.