Mechanistic Aspects of Monomer, Polymer Formation, and Synthesis of PQ-Alt-Dialkyl-fluorene Conjugated Copolymer

Suzuki coupling reaction is widely used in the construction of conjugated polymers; however, there is still no report describing the mechanism and coupling of 9,10-phenanthrenequinone(PQ) building blocks via Suzuki reaction because PQ is sensitive to bases and light. Herein is reported the efficient Suzuki coupling of PQ with 9,10-dialkylfluorene with Na2CO3 as basic species and high molecular weight PQ-Alt-Dialkyl-Fluorene conjugated copolymer obtained in an yield of 42%. Based on the characterization data and well-accepted literature, we proposed a step-by-step mechanistic explanation for the formation of the PQ containing alternating conjugated copolymer.