  The metal oxide polymeric methyltrioxorhenium [(CH3)xReO3] is an unique
epresentative of a layered inherent conducting organometallic polymer which
adopts the structural motifs of classical perovskites in two dimensions (2D) in
form of methyl-deficient, corner-sharing ReO5(CH3) octahedra. In order to
improve the characteristics of polymeric methyltrioxorhenium with respect to
its physical properties and potential usage as an inherentconducting polymer we
tried to optimise the synthetic routes of polymeric modifications of 1 to
obtain a sintered ceramic material, denoted ceramic MTO. Ceramic MTO formed in
a solvent-free synthesis via auto-polymerisation and subsequent sintering
processing displays clearly different mechanical and physical properties from
polymeric MTO synthesised in aqueous solution. Ceramic MTO is shown to display
activated Re-C and Re=O bonds relative to MTO. These electronic and structural
characteristics of ceramic MTO are also reflected by a different chemical
reactivity compared with its monomeric parent compound. First examples of the
unprecedented reactivity of ceramic MTO in the field of amine oxidations are
shown - results which warrant further exploitation.
