Polymerization of nitro aromatics

CHED 702

Brian M. Mosby, brianmosby25@yahoo.com1, James D. Martin, jdmartin@ncsu.edu2, and Robert Wilcox, rjwilcox@ncsu.edu2. (1) Department of Chemistry, Grambling State University, 403 Main Street, GSU BOX 4218, Grambling, LA 71245, (2) Department of Chemistry, North Carolina State University, Box 8204, Raleigh, NC 27695
Metal halides have shown the ability to effectively sorb gases and small molecules. This sorption ability has led to commercial uses of metal halides in gas separation and purification processes. While exploring the reactivity of nitro-containing molecules with metal halides it was discovered that a reaction with AlCl3 leads to polymeric materials with interesting optical properties. The broad visible and infrared emissions as well as the vivid colors of these polymers make them useful as OLEDs and dyes. The polymeric material was separated into three portions using three different solvents. The exact structure of the polymer is unknown. Fluorescence, mass spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy, and various other methods were used to help identify the unknown polymeric material.