Preparation of potentially plezoelectric polymers containing multicyano functionalities and their properties

Summary form only given. It is well-known that crystalline polymers such as poly(vinylidene fluoride) with large dipole moment exhibit the piezoelectric effects. Amorphous polymers with a high concentration of dipole moments also show piezoelectric properties after poling, such as the copolymer of vinylidene cyanide and vinyl acetate. A potentially piezoelectric polymer must contain a large concentration of dipoles and be able to withstand high voltages without breakdown. These polymers have to be film-forming and mechanically very strong. We have recently proposed that three- and four-membered rings with several cyano sunstituents held rigidly in alighnment will have large dipole moments and these polymers are potentially piezoelectric materials. We have prepared a series of polymers containing multicyanocyclopropane functionalities such as 1,1,2,2-tetracyano-cyclopropyl styrene, 1,1,2-tricyano-2-carbomethoxycyclopropylstyrene, 1-methyl-2,2,3,3-tetracyanocyelo propy1methyl (meth)acrylate, P-(2,2,3,3-tetracyanocyclopropyl)phenyl (meth)acrylate, p-(2,2,3-tricyano-3-carbornethoxycyclopropyl)phenyI (meth)acrylate, P-(2,3-dicyano-2,3-di C-arbornethoxYcYclopropyl)phenyl (metWacrylate, and investigated their properties.