Synthesis and property of soluble poly(1,1′-dialkyl-3,3′-ferrocenylenevinylene)s via titanium-induced dicarbonyl-coupling reaction of 1,1′-dialkylferrocene-3,3′-dicarbaldehydes

1,1′-Dialkylferrocene-3,3′-dicarbaldehydes ( 1a–c ) with long alkyl chains such as ethyl, hexyl, and dodecyl groups were prepared in 13–25% yield via three-step reactions. The titanium-induced dicarbonyl-coupling reaction of 1a–c gave poly(1,1′-dialkyl-3,3′-ferrocenylenevi-nylene)s ( 2a–c ) in quantitative yields, which were the molecular weights of 3000–10,000 and highly soluble in chloroform, benzene, and hexane. The electrical conductivity and the third-order nonlinear optical susceptibility for poly(1,1′-dihexyl-3,3′-ferrocenylenevinylene) ( 2b ) were estimated to be 1 × 10^?2 S/cm on doping with iodine and 1–4 × 10^?12 esu at a wavelength of 1–2.4 μm, respectively. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.