Naphthalene has been polymerized under mild conditions in o- dichlorobenzene with ferric chloride as catalyst. The resulting product polynaphthalene, annealed at 650℃ in vacuo, is a conducting polymer with conjugated double bonds. A mechanism of the electrochemical intercalation reaction is suggested for the discharge of a Li-polynaphthalene battery on the basis of experimental data obtained from the X-ray analysis, the electron paramagnetic resonance spectrometry etc. The lithium exists in the lithiated compound in both atomic and ionic state. The electrochemical intercalation reaction of lithium enhanced ESR absorption of the intercalation compound (Li~xC~1~0H~6)~n has been observed. The diffusion coefficient of Li^+ in the intercalation compound was measured to be 10^-^1^1～10^-^1^3 cm^2.s^-^1 by the potential step method at room temperature. The electronic conductivity was measured by Hebb-Wagner DC polarization technique, which was five to six orders of magnitude larger than the ionic one, so the intercalation compound was a mixed conductor in which the electronic conduction was predominant.

Key words: LITHIUM, INTERCALATION REACTION, X-RAY DIFFRACTION ANALYSIS, ELECTRON SPIN RESONANCE, X-RAY PHOTOELECTRON SPECTROMETRY