| Poly(hydridocarbyne) | |
|---|---|
| Formula | [HC]n |
| Molecular mass | 200,000 to 100 million Daltons |
| Melting point | decomposes @ 100°C |
| Boiling point | N/A |
| Density | ??.?? g/cm³ |
| CAS number | ???-??-? |
| SMILES | ??????? |
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 thermolized into a final hexagonal diamond ceramic.