Abstract
The study of the behaviour of monosubstituted polyalkynes, prepared through a polymerization with the Fe(CH3CH2CO2)(3)-AlEt3 system, with exposure to light under aerobic conditions, was undertaken employing viscosimetric and spectroscopic techniques. It was found that the extent of the variation of the physico-chemical properties decreases with the steric hindrance of the substituent grafted on to the polymer matrix. Poly(1-hexyne), mostly trans in configuration (85%) and having n-butyl, a less hindered and more mobile substituent, was highly sensitive to oxygen. This phenomenon led to a rapid decrease in the intrinsic viscosity related to several chain scissions giving terminal carbonyl and hydroxyl groups. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.