A kinetic study of the interactions of trans-polyacetylene (CH)x with oxygen

The kinetics of doping and degradation of all trans-polyacetylene by oxygen, have been studied over the temperature range 70°–110°C. Doping and degradation have first-order kinetics with the observed Arrhenius parameters E = 11.52, E = 13.45 kcal mol^?1 and log A (s^?1 = 4.19, log A (s^?1) = 4.49 respectively. The observations support the view that the reactions proceed via an intermediate-complex mechanism. Initially oxygen reduced the resistivity of (CH)_x by formation of a charge transfer complex and subsequently reacted with (CH)_x with an increase in resistivity.