We studied ring-collapsed radical alternating copolymerization (RCRAC) of hexaphenylcyclohexastibine (cyclo-(PhSb)6) and several acetylenic compounds in the presence of a catalytic amount of 2,2‘-azobis(isobutyronitrile) (AIBN) in tetrahydrofuran at 70 °C. Although the monosubstituted acetylenic monomers,
phenylacetylene (1a), 4-cyanophenylacetylene (1b), and 4-methoxyphenylacetylene (1c), gave low molecular
weight poly(vinylene stibine)s, RCRAC of dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate (1d) and cyclo-(PhSb)6 provided a
corresponding poly(vinylene stibine) (2d) of which the number-average molecular weight was 4300 by gel
permeation chromatographic analysis. The structure of 2d was supported by 1H and 13C NMR spectra and elemental
analysis. The structure and the molecular weight of 2d were insensitive to solvents and the feed ratio of the
monomers. When hexaphenylcyclohexaarsine (cyclo-(PhAs)6) was used in RCRAC with 1d, no polymerization
proceeded. These results were derived from different reactivity of pnictogen radicals. When the results of RCRAC
of cyclo-(PhAs)6 and that of 2 are compared, the arsenic radicals had more reactivity to the ethynyl groups and
the antimony radicals had more reactivity toward the vinyl radicals.