Synthesis and characterization of highly conducting polyacetylene

Polyacetylene can be synthesized by several routes. Among them, the most widely used method is an interfacial polymerization of acetylene monomer on a surface of a concentrated homogeneous Ziegler-Natta catalyst solution. The product is obtained as a form of thin films, which are served as specimens for characterization and measurements of various properties. The quality of the films is dependent strongly on preparative method of the catalyst as well as the polymerization condition of acetylene because there is no way to process the film due to its insolubility and infusibility. Synthetic conditions of highly conducting polyacetylene films and their characterization are reviewed in terms of catalyst preparations and polymerization methods.