Patent ID: 8048982

Claim:
A method for producing an aromatic compound polymer by oxidatively polymerizing one or more of aromatic compound(s) having two or more hydrogen atoms directly connected to aromatic ring(s), in the presence of an oxidizing agent, wherein the method employs a catalyst composed of a transition metal complex or a catalyst prepared from a transition metal complex and an activating agent, and said catalyst has a parameter P defined by the following formula (A) of 0.50 or more, and a parameter Eo defined by the following formula (B) of 0.50 [V] or more: P=Af / Ai (A) (wherein Ai represents an absorbance at an absorption maximum belonging in an absorption band located at the longest wavelength side in an absorption spectrum obtained for a solution containing the catalyst, in a ultraviolet to near-infrared wavelength region from 200 nm to 800 nm, and Af represents an absorbance at the same wavelength applied to the Ai, in an absorption spectrum in the above wavelength region obtained for a solution prepared by adding 3 equivalent of water per mole of the metal contained in the catalyst to the solution), and Eo =( Epa+Epc )/2 [V] (B) (wherein, Epa represents a peak potential at the oxidation side of an oxidation-reduction potential derived from the transition metal contained in the catalyst at a potential of 0.50 [V] or more based on oxidation-reduction potential of ferrocene/ferrocenium ion measured with a cyclic voltammetry for the solution containing the catalyst, and Epc represents a peak potential at the reduction side corresponding to Epa by the same measurement); wherein the aromatic compound polymer is a polymer of the aromatic compound(s) in which two or more hydrogen atoms having been directly connected to aromatic ring(s) are removed.