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  1. Little’s organic superconductor is illustrated by this picture , which is taken from this site, and by his words: “Consider an electron moving along the spine of such a molecule. As the electron passes each side chain its electric field polarizes the side-chain molecule and induces a positive charge at the end nearer the spine. Because of the high speed of the electron in the spine the region of maximum induced positive charge in the side chains trails some distance behind this electron. A second electron is attracted to the region of positive charge and is thereby indirectly attracted to the first electron.” Essentially the model is a variation of BCS where phonons are replaced by electron oscillations along side-chains.
  2. Around 1990 several experimental reports of room-temperature superconductivity in thin films of oxidized atactic polypropylene (OAPP) were published. (4, 5, 6, see 7 for a complete bibliography). In 7 the author (Eagles) speculates about the reasons why the results have largely been ignored. Actually, as reported in 7, there is at least one published report of a failed replication.
  3. Little’s model is actually cited in 4, but dismissed as irrelevant to the phenomena described. Curiously, none of the relevant papers shows the structure of OAPP. I assume that the relevant oxidation process is described by the lower row of the picture 8, so that the relevant structure of OAPP should look qualitatively like a randomized version of the following picture,OAPP inviting analogy with Little's model. The title question can be reformulated as follows: can the hydroxyl group OH in the side chain be polarized by electrons passing along the spine so as to fulfil Little’s HTC requirements? Suggestions and references are welcome.
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  • $\begingroup$ Sorry, but all this is fake :-/ You veered into pseudoscience with your search... Perhaps "dug too deep" ;) $\endgroup$
    – Mithoron
    Mar 23, 2022 at 22:25
  • $\begingroup$ @Mithoron Can you be more precise? Little's model's is widely discussed, results about OAPP were published in mainstream journals. That doesn't make them undisputable, but one can at least take them into consideration. I am asking a rather precise question. $\endgroup$
    – Andrea Alciato
    Mar 24, 2022 at 2:20
  • $\begingroup$ "none of the relevant papers shows the structure", "report of a failed replication." - these are like huge red flags. You cannot just put a bit of polypropylene into some oxidiser and expect it to magically start conducting. If the product looked like you show, it would be more likely to conduct electricity with protons, if at all. $\endgroup$
    – Mithoron
    Mar 24, 2022 at 15:20

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