Term: polyvinylenes
https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.08905

Definition:
Polymers composed of macromolecules containing exclusively ethene-1,2-diyl (formerly vinylene) or substituted ethene-1,2-diyl constitutional repeating units in the backbone: \[\ce{-CR^{1}=CR^{2}-}\] where \(\ce{R^{1}}\) and \(\ce{R^{2}}\) are each hydrogen or an alkyl, aryl, or heteroaryl group (structure-based polymer class name).

Notes:
1) Delocalization of electrons in conjugated chains gives to main-chain single bonds a partial character of double bonds, which restrict free rotations around these bonds which, therefore, show the cis-trans like isomerism. Four basic stereoregular polyvinylene chains can be derived: [image]
2) Polyvinylenes are almost exclusively prepared by polymerization of acetylene derivatives. Therefore, based on the source, they are mostly polyacetylenes.

Example: Polyvinylenes and their structure-based (first row) and source-based (second raw) names are: [image]

Example: Array

Link: 
Related Term: delocalization of electrons (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.08789).
Related Term: polyacetylenes (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.08882).

Images:
1) polyvinylenes (https://goldbook.iupac.org/img/inline/08905-1.jpg) 
2) polyvinylenes (https://goldbook.iupac.org/img/inline/08905-2.jpg) 

Source: PAC, 2022, 94, 15. 'Glossary of terms relating to electronic, photonic and magnetic properties of polymers (IUPAC Recommendations 2021)' on page 63 (https://doi.org/10.1515/pac-2020-0501)

Citation: 'polyvinylenes' in IUPAC Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 5th ed. International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry; 2025. Online version 5.0.0, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.08905

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