A general strategy for the synthesis of conjugated polymers based upon the palladium-catalysed cross-coupling of grignard reagents with unsaturated halides

Palladium-catalysed cross-coupling between aromatic bis-organomagnesium reagents and aromatic dihalides has been experimentally evaluated as a general methodology for the synthesis of soluble conjugated polymers such as poly(p-phenylene)s 6 and 7, poly (p-terphenylenevinylene) 8, poly(phenylenethiophene) 9 and poly (phenylenepyridine) 10. Appropriate experimental conditions were first found in model reactions and then applied to the synthesis of polymers. Molecular mass values were determined both by GPC and by MALDI-TOF spectrometry. The latter technique also permitted accurate determination of the terminal groups of the polymeric chains. © Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2002.