Synthesis and photoconducting properties of C60‐bonded polystyrene initiated with C60Cln

C₆₀‐bonded polystyrene was produced with a novel initiator system, C₆₀Cl_n/CuCl/2,2′‐bipyridine (where the average value of n is 20). The molar ratio of styrene/C₆₀Cl_n/CuCl/bpy was 100:1/20:1:2, and the polymerization temperature was 130°C. Gel permeation chromatography detected with an ultraviolet detector demonstrated that C₆₀ was chemically bonded to polystyrene. The linear increase in the number‐average molecular weight (by gel permeation chromatography) with the conversion indicated that this novel initiator system had some characteristics of living polymerization. A possible polymerization mechanism was examined. The photoconducting properties of C₆₀‐bonded polystyrene were better than those of polystyrene initiated with CCl₄. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 86: 3001–3004, 2002