Copper-Catalyzed Dehydrogenative Polycondensation of a Bis-Aniline Hexylthiophene-Based Monomer: A Kinetically Controlled Air-Tolerant Process

Abstract

Aerobic oxidative dehydrogenative polycondensation of the new monomer 4,4'-(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl)bis(2-octylaniline) has proved very effective under mild conditions using an inexpensive copper bromide/pyridine complex and dioxygen acting as catalyst and oxidant, respectively. Such kinetically controlled process allowed preparing elec-troconjugated photosensitive polymers with high molar weight (Mn > 15000 g.mol-1).