Poly(hydridocarbyne)

Poly(hydridocarbyne)

Identifiers
ChemSpider	none
Properties
Chemical formula	[HC]n
Molar mass	200,000 to 100 million daltons
Melting point	decomposes @ 100 °C
Boiling point	N/A
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa). Infobox references

Poly(hydridocarbyne) (PHC) is one of a class of carbon-based random network polymers primarily composed of tetrahedrally hybridized carbon atoms, each having one hydride substituent, exhibiting the generic formula [HC]n. PHC is made from bromoform, a liquid halocarbon that is commercially manufactured from methane. At room temperature, poly(hydridocarbyne) is a dark brown powder. It can be easily dissolved in a number of solvents (tetrahydrofuran, ether, toluene etc.), forming a colloidal suspension that is clear and non-viscous, which may then be deposited as a film or coating on various substrates. Upon thermolysis in argon at atmospheric pressure and temperatures of 110 °C to 1000 °C, decomposition of poly(hydridocarbyne) results in hexagonal diamond (lonsdaleite).

More recently poly(hydridocarbyne) has been synthesized by a much simpler method using electrolysis of chloroform (May 2008)^[1] and hexachloroethane (June 2009).^[2]

The novelty of PHC (and its related polymer poly(methylsilyne)) is that the polymer may be readily fabricated into various forms (e.g. films, fibers, plates) and then thermolyzed into a final hexagonal diamond ceramic.

See also

• Carbyne, for name origin

References

1. Toppare L, et al. (May 2008). "Facile Synthesis of Poly(hydridocarbyne): A Precursor to Diamond and Diamond-like Ceramics". Journal of Macromolecular Science, Part A. 45 (5): 358–363. doi:10.1080/10601320801946108. S2CID 93635541.
2. Toppare L, et al. (June 2009). "Electrochemical polymerizatıon of hexachloroethane to form poly(hydridocarbyne): a pre-ceramic polymer for diamond production". Journal of Materials Science. 44 (11): 2774–2779. Bibcode:2009JMatS..44.2774N. doi:10.1007/s10853-009-3364-4. S2CID 97604277.

• Bianconi P, et al. (2004). "Diamond and Diamond-like Carbon from a Preceramic Polymer". Journal of the American Chemical Society. 126 (10): 3191–3202. doi:10.1021/ja039254l. PMID 15012149.
• Bianconi P, et al. (2004). "High molecular weight polymers". (US patent application)

External links

• Facile Synthesis of Poly(hydridocarbyne): A Precursor to Diamond and Diamond-like Ceramics
• Liftport Staff Blog discussion