Phosphorus copies of PPV: pi-conjugated polymers and molecules composed of alternating phenylene and phosphaalkene moieties

A new class of pi-conjugated macromolecule, poly(p-phenylenephosphaalkene) (PPP), is reported. PPPs are phosphorus analogues of the important electronic material poly(p-phenylenevinylene) (PPV) where P=C rather than C=C bonds space phenylene moieties. Specifically, PPPs -C(6)R(4)-P=C(OSiMe(3))-C(6)R'(4)-C(OSiMe(3))=P-](n)() (1: R = H, R' = Me; 11: R = Me, R' = H) were synthesized by utilizing the Becker reaction of a bifunctional silylphosphine, 1,4-C(6)R(4)P(SiMe(3))(2)](2), and diacid chloride 1,4-C(6)R'(4)COCl](2). Several model compounds for PPP are reported. Namely, mono(phosphaalkene)s R-P=C(OSiMe(3))-R' (4: R = Ph, R' = Mes; 7: R = Mes, R' = Ph), C-centered bis(phosphaalkene)s R-P=C(OSiMe(3))-C(6)R'(4)-C(OSiMe(3))=P-R (5: R = Ph, R' = Me; 8: R = Mes, R' = H), and P-centered bis(phosphaalkene)s R-C(OSiMe(3))=P-C(6)R'(4)-P=C(OSiMe(3))-R (6: R = Mes, R' = H; 10: R = Ph, R' = Me). Remarkably, selective Z-isomer formation (i.e., trans arylene moieties) is observed for PPPs when bulky P-substituents are employed while E/Z-mixtures are otherwise obtained. X-ray crystal structures of Z-7, Z,Z-8, and Z,Z-10 suggest moderate pi-conjugation. The twist angles between the P=C plane and unsubstituted arenes are 16 degrees -26 degrees , while those between the P=C plane and methyl-substituted arenes are 59 degrees -67 degrees . The colored PPPs and their model compounds were studied by UV/vis spectroscopy, and the results are consistent with extended pi-conjugation. Specifically, weakly emissive polymer E/Z-1 (lambda(max) = 338 nm) shows a red shift in its absorbance from model E/Z-4 (lambda(max) = 310 nm), while a much larger red shift is observed for Z-11 (lambda(max) = 394 nm) over Z-7 (lambda(max) = 324 nm).