Water-soluble cationic poly-p-phenylene polyelectrolytes with an exceptionally high charge density

Rod-like poly-p-phenylene polyelectrolytes bearing four quaternized tetraalkylammonium functionalities per p-phenylene repeating unit are easily available via conversion of poly[2,5-di(6-iodohexyl)-1,4-phenylenes] with a large excess of TMEDA followed by the quaternization of the second TMEDA amino group with EtI.