Infrared spectroscopy
For applications, polyacetylenes suffer from many drawbacks. They are insoluble in solvents, making it essentially impossible to process the material. While both "cis" and "trans"-polyacetylene show high thermal stability, exposure to air causes a large decrease in the flexibility and conductivity. When polyacetylene is exposed to air, oxidation of the backbone by O2 occurs. Infrared spectroscopy shows formation of carbonyl groups, epoxides, and peroxides. Coating with polyethylene or wax can slow the oxidation temporarily, while coating with glass increases stability indefinitely.