On the structure of macromolecules obtained by oxidative polymerization of polyhydroxyphenols and quinones

✍ Scribed by Cataldo, Franco

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1998
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 187 KB
• Volume: 46
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0959-8103
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1097-0126(199808)46:4<263::aid-pi983>3.0.co;2-0

✦ Synopsis

The chemical structure of synthetic humic acid or synthetic melanin, obtained by oxidative polymerization of hydroquinone or para-benzoquinone in alkali solutions was determined by means of elemental analysis, 1H NMR, electronic and FTIR spectroscopies, and by high temperature zinc dust treatment. The shiny black material obtained was proved to be a poly(hydroxyhydroquinone-co-hydroxybenzoquinone) having the monomeric units connected at the ortho position and hence having a poly(ortho-phenylene) backbone instead of the other possible structure with a poly(para-phenylene) backbone. The chemical similarity between this synthetic humic acid and natural humic acids and natural melanins is discussed.

1998 SCI.