Abstract: | π‐Conjugated poly(3‐nitropyridine‐2,5‐diyl) ( PPy‐3‐NO2 ), poly(3,3′‐dinitro‐2,2′‐bipyridine‐5,5′‐diyl) ( PBpy‐3,3′‐diNO2 ), and a poly(arylene ethynylene) type polymer consisting of a 3,3′‐dinitro‐2,2′‐bipyridine unit ( PAE‐1 ) were synthesized by Cu‐promoted Ullmann coupling reaction and Pd‐catalyzed coupling reaction. PPy‐3‐NO2 and PAE‐1 were soluble in organic solvents such as DMSO, DMF, and chloroform, and gel permeation chromatography analysis showed a number average molecular weight (Mn) of 9,300 and 12,300, respectively. PPy‐3‐NO2 gave intrinsic viscosity, [η], of 0.53 dL g?1 in DMF. PBpy‐3,3′‐diNO2 had somewhat lower solubility. The polymers exhibited a UV–vis peak at about 430 nm. PPy‐NO2 received electrochemical reduction at ?1.5 V versus Ag+/Ag in acetonitrile, and gave an electrochemical redox cycle in a range from 0 to ?1.1 V versus Ag+/Ag in an aqueous solution. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 102: 1763–1767, 2006 |