Abstract:
Microwave synthesis, the use of a 2450 MHz magnetron to excite molecular synthesis that results in a reaction, is a growing area of chemistry. In this series of 15 experiments, pyrrole is placed in a series of matrices such as calcium metal, liquid bromine, etc. that will readily undergo an oxidation or reduction reaction. Coupling the use of the microwave synthesis approach with oxidation and reduction reactions resulted in three matrices where polypyrrole could be produced. In addition, computational techniques were used to study the conversion of the single pyrrole unit to the polymer.