Synthesis of poly(5,6‐difluoro‐2,1,3‐benzothiadiazole‐alt‐9,9‐dioctyl‐fluorene) via direct arylation polycondensation

Poly(5,6‐difluoro‐2,1,3‐benzothiadiazole‐alt‐9,9‐dioctylfluorene) was successfully synthesized via direct arylation polycondensation of 5,6‐difluoro‐2,1,3‐benzothiadiazole and 2,7‐dibromo‐9,9‐dioctylfluorene. The reaction conditions were optimized, and a polymer with number‐average molecular weight (M_n) of 41,000 was obtained by using Pd(OAc)₂, P^tBu₂Me‐HBF₄, pivalic acid, K₂CO₃, and toluene as catalyst, ligand, additive, base, and solvent, respectively. The polycondensation was also performed with 5,6‐dioctyloxy‐2,1,3‐benzothiadiazole or 2,1,3‐benzothiadiazole as the comonomer, and the results indicate that the introduction of electron‐withdrawing fluorine atoms at the ortho‐positions to the C? H bonds is essential for the reactivity of the direct arylation. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2014 , 52, 2367–2374     

Synthesis of regioregular poly(3‐octylthiophene)s via Suzuki polycondensation and end‐group analysis by matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry

Regioregular poly(3‐octylthiophene)s were synthesized through a palladium‐catalyzed Suzuki polycondensation of 2‐(5‐iodo‐4‐octyl‐2‐thienyl)‐4,4,5,5‐tetramethyl‐1,3,2‐dioxaborolane. The effects of the palladium catalyst {tetrakis(triphenylphosphine)palladium(0) [Pd(PPh₃)₄], palladium(II) acetate [Pd(OAc)₂], [1, 1′‐bis(diphenylphosphino)ferrocene]dichloropalladium(II) [Pd(dppf)Cl₂], tris(dibenzylideneacetone)dipalladium(0), or bis(triphenylphosphine)palladium(II) dichloride [Pd(PPh₃)₂Cl₂]} and the reaction conditions (bases and solvents) were investigated. NMR spectroscopy revealed that poly(3‐octylthiophene)s prepared via this route were essentially regioregular. According to size exclusion chromatography, the highest molecular weights were obtained with in situ generated Pd(PPh₃)₄ and tetrakis(tri‐o‐tolylphosphine]palladium(0) {Pd[P(o‐Tol)₃]₄} catalysts or more reactive, phosphine‐free Pd(OAc)₂. Matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry was used to analyze end groups and allowed the determination of some mechanistic aspects of the Suzuki polycondensation. The polymers were commonly terminated with hydrogen or iodine as a result of deboronation and some deiodination. Pd(PPh₃)₄, Pd(PPh₃)₂Cl₂, and Pd[P(o‐Tol)₃]₄ induced aryl–aryl exchange reactions with the palladium center and resulted in some chains having phenyl‐ and o‐tolyl‐capped chain ends. Pd(dppf)Cl₂ yielded only one type of chain, and it had hydrogen end groups. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 43: 1454–1462, 2005     

Nanostructured polymetallaynes of controlled length: Synthesis and characterization of oligomers and polymers from 1,1′‐bis‐(ethynyl)4,4′‐biphenyl bridging Pt(II) or Pd(II) centers

The reactivity of square planar palladium(II) and platinum(II) complexes in trans or cis configuration, namely trans or cis‐[dichlorobis(tributylphosphine)platinum(II)] and trans‐[dichlorobis(tributylphosphine)palladium(II)] with 1,1′‐bis(ethynyl) 4,4′‐biphenyl, DEBP, leading to π‐conjugated organometallic oligomeric and polymeric metallaynes, was investigated by a systematic variation of the reaction conditions. The formation of polymers and oligomers with defined chain length [? M(PBu₃)₂ (C?C? C₆H₄? C₆H₄? C?C? )]_n (n = 3–10 for the oligomers, n = 20–50 for the polymers) depends on the configuration of the precursor Pt(II) and Pd(II) complexes, the presence/absence of the catalyst CuI, and the reaction time. A series of model reactions monitored by XPS, GPC, and NMR ³¹P spectroscopy showed the route to modulate the chain growth. As expected, the nature of the transition metal (Pt or Pd) and the molecular weight of the polymers markedly influence the photophysical characteristics of the polymetallaynes, such as optical absorption and emission behavior. Polymetallaynes with nanostructured morphology could be obtained by a simple casting procedure of polymer solutions. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 3311–3329, 2007     

Synthesis,optical, and electrochemical properties of novel copolymers on the basis of benzothiadiazole and electron‐rich arene units

Novel alternating conjugated copolymers ( P1–P6 ) consisting of an electron‐deficient benzothiadiazole and a variety of electron‐rich thiophene‐arene‐thiophene units were synthesized by palladium‐catalyzed polycondensations (Stille and Suzuki reactions), aiming at processable materials with a reduced optical band gap. The structures of P1–P6 were confirmed by ¹H NMR and ¹³C NMR, and their molecular weights were determined by size exclusion chromatography. In the Suzuki polycondensation, the role of the catalyst [Pd(PPh₃)₄ and Pd(OAc)₂] on the resulting molecular weight was investigated. Pd(OAc)₂ enhances the molecular weight of the polymers for both thiophene and phenylene bis‐boronic esters as compared with Pd(PPh₃)₄. The optical properties of the polymers were examined in solution and the solid state. The polymers with n‐octyl substituents ( P1 , P4 , P5 , and P6 ) on the thiophene rings possessed less‐planar structures as a result of torsional steric hindrance, and their absorption spectra appeared blueshifted as compared with their unsubstituted analogues ( P2 and P3 ). The electrochemical properties of the polymers were studied using cyclic voltammetry. Although the alkyl substitution affects the oxidation potential, only marginal differences in the reduction potentials were observed. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 2360–2372, 2002     

Direct arylation polymerization toward a narrow bandgap donor–acceptor conjugated polymer of alternating 5,6‐difluoro‐2,1,3‐benzothiadiazole and alkyl‐quarternarythiophene: From synthesis,optoelectronic properties to devices

ABSTRACT: Direct arylation polymerization (DAP) enabled facile synthesis of a narrow bandgap donor–acceptor conjugated polymer (PDFBT‐Th₄) composed of alternating 5,6‐difluoro‐2,1,3‐benzothiadiazole and alkyl‐quaternarythiophene. The optimized reaction condition of DAP catalyzed with Pd(OAc)₂/(o‐MeOPh)₃P/PivOH/K₂CO₃ in o‐xylene led to the target polymer with a number‐average molecular weight (M_n) of 14.6 kDa without noticeable homocoupling or β‐branching defects. UV‐vis absorption spectra of PDFBT‐Th₄ indicate strong interchain aggregation in films. While the C‐H selectivity and the alternating polymer structure of PDFBT‐Th₄ synthesized via DAP are comparable to those of the same type polymers synthesized via Stille coupling, the batch of PDFBT‐Th₄ synthesized via optimal DAP, despite its lower M_n, showed higher hole mobility in field effect transistors and larger power conversion efficiency in organic solar cell devices. These results further demonstrate the promising potential of DAP for efficient synthesis of high‐performance D‐A conjugated polymers for broad optoelectronic applications. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2017 , 55, 1869–1879     

Pd‐Catalysed Direct Arylation Polymerisation for Synthesis of Low‐Bandgap Conjugated Polymers and Photovoltaic Performance

Low‐bandgap conjugated copolymers based on a donor–acceptor structure have been synthesised via palladium‐complex catalysed direct arylation polymerisation. Initially, we report the optimisation of the synthesis of poly(cyclopentadithiophene‐alt‐benzothiadiazole) (PCPDTBT) formed between cyclopentadithiophene and dibromobenzothiadiazole units. The polymerisation condition has been optimised, which affords high‐molecular‐weight polymers of up to M _n = 70 k using N‐methylpyrrolidone as a solvent. The polymers are used to fabricate organic photovoltaic devices and the best performing PCPDTBT device exhibits a moderate improvement over devices fabricated using the related polymer via Suzuki coupling. Similar polymerisation conditions have also been applied for other monomer units.     

Synthesis of poly(1‐chloro‐2‐arylacetylene)s with high cis‐content and examination of their absorption/emission properties

A series of 1‐chloro‐2‐arylacetylenes [Cl‐C?C‐Ar, Ar = C₆H₅ ( 1 ), C₆H₄‐p‐i Pr ( 2 ), C₆H₄‐p‐Oi Pr ( 3 ), C₆H₄‐p‐NHC(O)Ot Bu ( 4 ), and C₆H₄‐o‐i Pr ( 5 )] were polymerized using (tBu₃P)PdMeCl/silver trifluoromethanesulfonate (AgOTf) and MoCl₅/SnBu₄ catalysts. The corresponding polymers [poly( 1 )–poly( 5 )] with weight‐average molecular weights of 6,500–690,000 were obtained in 10–91% yields. THF‐insoluble parts, presumably high‐molecular weight polymers, were formed together with THF‐soluble polymers by the Pd‐catalyzed polymerization. The Pd catalyst polymerized nonpolar monomers 1 and 2 to give the polymers in yields lower than the Mo catalyst, while the Pd catalyst polymerized polar monomers 3 and 4 to give the corresponding polymers in higher yields. The ¹H NMR and UV–vis absorption spectra of the polymers indicated that the cis‐contents of the Pd‐based polymers were higher than those of the Mo‐based polymers, and the conjugation length of the Pd‐based polymers was shorter than that of the Mo‐based polymers. Pd‐based poly( 5 ) emitted fluorescence most strongly among poly( 1 )–poly( 5 ). © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2017 , 55 , 382–388     

Perylene bisimide‐based semiconducting polymers: Synthesis via palladium‐catalyzed direct arylation,characterization, optoelectrical properties,and nanomorphology

Perylene bisimide (PBI)‐based acceptor polymers have been synthesized by the facile and environmental‐friendly palladium‐catalyzed direct arylation. The direct arylation using a bromothiophene‐extended PBI monomer, which was designed for the direct arylaion, proceeded to yield PBI‐based acceptor polymers (PPBI3T). As a result of screening the direct arylation conditions, PPBI3T with the number average molecular weight of 14,000 was successfully synthesized, and the spectroscopic and optoelectronic analysis demonstrated the synthesis of PPBI3T with the desired structure. The random compolymerization among naphthalene bisimide (NBI)‐based monomer, PBI‐based monomer, and 3,4‐dimethylthiophene afforded the random copolymers composed of NBI‐ and PBI‐based components (P(NBI3T‐PBI3T)). The composition of each component was controlled by changing the monomer feed ratio, and furthermore, the optical and electrochemical properties of P(NBI3T‐PBI3T) were also tunable by controlling the composition of each component. To the best of our knowledge, these results were the first accomplishment for the direct arylation synthesis of PBI‐based acceptor polymers. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2016 , 54, 3151–3158     

Cationic polymerization of n‐hexyloxyallene by using halogen‐bonding organocatalysts

The cationic polymerization of n‐hexyloxyallene was investigated by using halogen‐bonding organocatalysts ( Cat A – Cat D ). Although the neutral catalyst Cat C showed a poor polymerization activity, iodine‐carrying bidentate cationic catalyst Cat A brought about the smooth polymerization giving rise to a polymer with M_n of 2710 under [ Cat A ]:[IBVE‐HCl]:[monomer] = 10:10:500 in mM concentrations. Judging from the color change of polymerization system and electrospray ionization mass spectra of recovered catalyst, the decomposition of organocatalyst was suggested. When α‐bromodiphenylmethane was used as an initiator, the relatively controlled polymerization proceeded at the low monomer conversion likely due to the weak halogen‐bonding interaction of Cat A with the bromide anion. On the other hand, bromine‐carrying bidentate catalyst Cat D gave low‐molecular‐weight polymers (M_n < 1550) to be less suitable for polymerization. From the ¹H‐NMR spectrum, it was found that the 1,2‐polymerization unit and 2,3‐polymerization unit are included in 75:25. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2019 , 57, 2436–2441     

Tris[tri(2‐thienyl)phosphine]palladium as the catalyst precursor for thiophene‐based Suzuki‐Miyaura crosscoupling and polycondensation

Zero‐valent palladium complex, Pd(PTh₃)₃, with three tri(2‐thienyl)phosphine ligands was prepared and characterized. Pd(PTh₃)₃ is superior to Pd(PPh₃)₄ in catalyzing Suzuki‐Miyaura coupling and polymerization of thiophene‐based derivatives. The Suzuki polycondensation of 3‐hexyl‐5‐iodothiophene‐2‐boronic pinacol ester with Pd(PTh₃)₃ as the catalyst precursor afforded high‐molecular‐weight P3HT with high regularity and yield. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 4556–4563, 2008     

Investigation of Suzuki–Miyaura catalyst‐transfer polycondensation of AB‐type fluorene monomer using coordination‐saturated aryl Pd(II) halide complexes as initiators

Novel triarylamine‐based coordination‐saturated aryl Pd(II) halide complexes ligated by PEt₃, PCy₃, and P(o‐tol)₃ were successfully synthesized by direct oxidative addition of aryl halide to the corresponding Pd(0) precursors. Suzuki–Miyaura coupling polymerization of 2‐(7‐halide‐9,9‐dioctylfluoren‐2‐yl)?1,3,2‐dioxaborinane with these Pd(II) complexes as initiators was investigated for the synthesis of poly(fluorene)s with triarylamine end group. Pd(II) complexes with PCy₃ or P(o‐tol)₃ exhibited catalytic activity and realized the catalyst‐transfer polycondensation at 75 °C and room temperature, respectively, while the polymerization using Pd(II) catalyst ligated by PEt₃ did not proceed, which indicated that the bulky phosphine ligands could facilitate the reductive elimination and further promote the polymerization. In addition, the dimeric Pd(II) complex with P(o‐tol)₃ can convert into monomeric Pd(II) intermediate with an open coordination site, which had a higher activity. The end groups of the afforded polyfluorene were analyzed by matrix‐assisted laser desorption ionization time‐of‐flight (MALDI‐TOF) mass spectrometry, in which the Ar/H end groups are indicative of the catalyst‐transfer polymerization. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015 , 53, 1457–1463     

Well‐Defined N‐Heterocyclic Carbene‐Palladium Complexes as Efficient Catalysts for Domino Sonogashira Coupling/Cyclization Reaction and C‐H bond Arylation of Benzothiazole

Well‐defined and air‐stable PEPPSI (Pyridine Enhanced Precatalyst Preparation Stabilization and Initiation) themed palladium bis‐N‐heterocyclic carbene complexes have been developed for the domino Sonogashira coupling/cyclization reaction of 2‐iodophenol with a variety of terminal alkynes and C‐H bond arylation of benzothiazole with aryl iodides. The PEPPSI themed palladium complexes, 2a and 2b were synthesized in good yields from the reaction of corresponding imidazolium salts with PdCl₂ and K₂CO₃ in pyridine. The new air‐stable palladium‐NHC complexes were characterized by NMR spectroscopy, X‐ray crystallography, elemental analysis, and mass spectroscopy studies. The PEPPSI themed palladium(II) bis‐N‐heterocyclic carbene complexes 2a and 2b exhibited excellent catalytic activities for domino Sonogashira coupling/cyclization reaction of 2‐iodophenol with terminal alkynes yielding benzofuran derivatives. In addition, the palladium complexes, 2a and 2b successfully catalyzed the direct C‐H bond arylation of benzothiazole with aryl iodides as coupling partners in presence of CuI as co‐catalyst.     

A non‐phosgene process to homopolycarbonate and copolycarbonates of isosorbide using dimethyl carbonate: Synthesis,characterization, and properties

Poly(isosorbide carbonate) (PIC) was synthesized by melt polycondensation of dimethyl carbonate (DMC) and isosorbide using lithium acetylacetonate (LiAcac) as the catalyst. The reaction conditions were optimized to achieve PIC with relatively high number‐average molecular weight (M_n) of 28,800 g/mol and isosorbide conversion of 95.2%. A series of poly(aliphatic diol‐co‐isosorbide carbonate)s (PAICs) were also synthesized by melt polycondensation of DMC with isosorbide and equimolar amounts of aliphatic diols (1,4‐butanediol, 1,5‐pentanediol, 1,6‐hexanediol, and 1,4‐cyclohexane dimethanol) in the presence of LiAcac and the TiO₂/SiO₂‐based catalyst (TSP‐44). PAICs with M_n values ranging from 18,700 to 34,400 g/mol and polydispersities between 1.64 and 1.69 were obtained. The ¹³C NMR analysis revealed the random microstructure of PAICs. The differential scanning calorimetry results demonstrated that all the PAICs were amorphous with a unique T_g ranging from 46 to 88 °C. The dynamic analysis results showed that the incorporation of linear or cyclohexane structure changed the dynamic mechanical properties of PIC drastically. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2013     

Catalyst‐Switchable Regiocontrol in the Direct Arylation of Remote CH Groups in Pyrazolo[1,5‐a]pyrimidines

The regiodivergent palladium‐catalyzed C? H arylation of pyrazolo[1,5‐a]pyrimidine has been achieved, wherein the switch in regioselectivity between positions C3 and C7 is under complete catalyst control. A phosphine‐containing palladium catalyst promotes the direct arylation at the most acidic position (C7), whereas a phosphine‐free catalyst targets the most electron‐rich position (C3).     

Direct dehydration polycondensation of lactic acid catalyzed by water‐stable Lewis acids

Poly(L ‐lactic acid) (PLLA) is generally produced by ring‐opening polymerization of (S,S)‐lactide, which is prepared from dehydration polycondensation of lactic acid and successive depolymerization. Results of this study show that scandium trifluoromethanesulfonate [Sc(OTf)₃] and scandium trifluoromethanesulfonimide [Sc(NTf₂)₃] are effective for one‐step dehydration polycondensation of L ‐lactic acid. Bulk polycondensation of L ‐lactic acid was carried out at 130–170 °C to give PLLA with M_n of 5.1 × 10⁴ to 7.3 × 10⁴ (yield 32–60%). The solution polycondensation was performed at 135 °C for 48 h to afford PLLA with M_n of 1.1 × 10⁴ with good yield (90%). In no case did ¹H NMR, specific optical rotation, or DSC measurement confirm racemizations. The catalyst was recovered easily by extraction with water and reused for polycondensation. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 5247–5253, 2006     

Pd‐Catalyzed Synthesis of α‐Aryl Vinylphosphonates via Suzuki Arylation of α‐Phosphonovinyl Nonaflates

The first palladium‐catalyzed method for the arylation of α‐phosphonovinyl nonaflates is described. Using a catalyst comprised of Pd(OAc)₂ and SPhos, terminal and internal α‐aryl vinylphosphonates could be efficiently accessed under mild conditions. The reaction features a broad coupling partner scope and tolerates many functional groups.     

SBA‐15‐functionalized melamine–pyridine group‐supported palladium(0) as an efficient heterogeneous and recyclable nanocatalyst for N‐arylation of indoles through Ullmann‐type coupling reactions

SBA‐15‐functionalized melamine–pyridine group‐supported palladium(0) was found to serve as a heterogeneous and recyclable nanocatalyst for N‐arylation of indoles with aryl iodides under a low catalyst loading (0.3 mol% of Pd) through Ullmann‐type C? N coupling reactions. A variety of aryl iodides could be aminated to provide the N‐arylated products in good to excellent yields without the need of an inert atmosphere. Also, this catalyst was found to be an efficient system for the N‐arylation of other nitrogen‐containing heterocycles with aryl iodides. The heterogeneous palladium catalyst could be recovered by simple filtration of the reaction solution and reused for six cycles without significant loss in its activity. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis of well‐defined aromatic polyesters by chain‐growth polycondensation under suppression of transesterification

For the synthesis of aromatic polyesters with defined molecular weights and narrow molecular weight distributions (MWDs), we investigated the chain‐growth polycondensation of active amide derivatives of 4‐hydroxybenzoic acid, 1a and 1b , having an octyl or 4,7‐dioxaoctyl side chain, respectively. To suppress the transesterification of the polymer backbone with the monomer, the polymerization of 1 was carried out in tetrahydrofuran (THF) at −30 °C in the presence of initiator 2 and Et₃SiH/CsF/18‐crown‐6, which generated a hydride ion as a base in situ. The number‐average molecular weight (M_n) of poly 1a was controlled, and narrow MWDs were maintained, until the [ 1a ]₀/[ 2 ]₀ feed ratio was 14.3 (M_n ≤ 3500), whereas that of poly 1b was controlled until the feed ratio was 30 (M_n ≤ 7250). The difference stemmed from the higher solubility of poly 1b in THF. This chain‐growth polycondensation was applied to the synthesis of a diblock copolyester of 1a and 1b of a defined architecture. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 43: 4109–4117, 2005     

Palladium‐Catalyzed Pyrazole‐Directed sp3 C−H Bond Arylation for the Synthesis of β‐Phenethylamines

We have developed a method for palladium‐catalyzed, pyrazole‐directed sp³ C−H bond arylation by aryl iodides. The reaction employs a Pd(OAc)₂ catalyst at 5–10 mol % loading and silver(I) oxide as a halide‐removal agent, and it proceeds in acetic acid or acetic acid/hexafluoroisopropanol solvent. Ozonolysis of the pyrazole moiety affords pharmaceutically important β‐phenethylamines.     

Phosphine‐free direct arylation synthesis and self‐assembled nanostructure analysis of poly(3‐hexylselenophene)

Poly(3‐hexylselenophene)s (P3Hs) with high regioregularity (RR = 92–96%), that is, regioregular poly(3‐hexylselenophene)s (rr‐P3HSs), have been synthesized under the phosphine‐free direct arylation conditions in the presence of PdCl₂ as a precatalyst. rr‐P3HS with the high molecular weight (M_n ～ 10,000) was obtained as a result of screening of direct arylation conditions. Subsequently, the influences of primary structure, molecular weight (M_n = 3900–10,000) and regioregularity (RR = 57–96%), on optical properties and self‐assembled nanostructure of P3HS were investigated. X‐ray diffraction demonstrated that molecular weight, regioregularity, and preparation method of films dominate the crystallization behavior of P3HS. Among these parameters, it was evident that a high degree of regioregularity was the most fundamental contributor to achieve pure crystalline nanostructure. Furthermore, nanoassembly based on pure crystalline nanostructure, such as non‐woven fibrous and bundle‐like spherulitic self‐assembled nanostructures, was successfully prepared in rr‐P3HS, respectively, by appropriate modulation of the aforementioned parameters. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2017 , 55, 2749–2755