The development of catalyst-transfer polycondensation (CTP) to synthesize defined π-conjugated polymers is of great importance in polymer chemistry. Particularly, polymers with control over molecular weight, chain-end fidelity and solid-state morphology could generate distinct properties compared to their polydisperse counterparts. Over the past decade, polymer chemists have focused on the synthesis of p-type materials using a Kumada CTP protocol. Although recent efforts have been made to prepare electron-poor conjugated macromolecules, the controlled synthesis of these polymers is limited due to incompatibility with the Grignard reagent. In this talk, our efforts in expanding the monomer scope for CTP by modification of the side chain with an electron-withdrawing moiety will be discussed. We anticipate that strategies for controlled polymerization of highly functional monomers that cannot be accessed using Kumada CTP will open the door to an array of exciting materials suitable for advanced optoelectronic applications.

Towards controlled synthesis of conjugated polymers with functional side chains: An investigation of catalyst-transfer polycondensation for n-type materials

251st National Meeting (2016)

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