ABSTRACT
The study of conjugated polymers such as polyacetylene, poly(p-phenylene) (PPP) and poly(p-phenylenevinylene) (PPV) has become a very exciting field since the discovery of the high conductivity of doped polyacetylene in 1977 [1]. Intensive research in this area during the past two decades has uncovered many potential applications for conjugated materials. These polymers can be used to prepare organic conductors, electroluminescent devices, sensors, nonlinear optical devices, high-density-energy batteries, etc. [1-3]. Optically active conjugated polymers are also potentially very useful. Electrodes prepared from these chiral polymers can be used to carry out asymmetric electroreactions to synthesize optically active organic compounds. Scheme 1 shows an experiment in which an asymmetric electrooxidation of t-butyl phenyl sulfide, 1, occurs on a chiral electrode to generate a
H3C, s c---
H,c" CH3 1
C, s <-3 + OW
SCHEME 1 Asymmetric electro-oxidation of a sulfide to a chiral sulfoxide using a chiral electrode.
