Abstract:
The present review deals with chemical aspects of the reactions of polyacrylonitrile and related polymers, based on the reaction of the C≡N groups, the polymer-analogue transformations of polynitriles under the influence of water, alcohols, carboxylic acids, nitrogen-containing organic compounds, hydrogen sulphide, and other nucleophilic reagents, and the reaction of polynitriles with electrophilic reagents. Reactions undergone by the polymers but not by mononitriles, and reactions whose mechanisms are different for poly- and mononitriles, have been distinguished. The review cover the literature of the last 15 years. The bibliography contains 143 references.