Dehydrocoupling of 1,1-dihydrotetraphenylsilole to an electroluminescent polysilole

Catalytic dehydrocoupling of 1,1-dihydrotetraphenylsilole (1) with various inorganic hydrides produces electroluminescent polysiloles (2) in high yield. The polymerization yield and molecular weight increase in the order LiB[CH(CH3)C2H5](3)H < NaB[CH(CH3)C2H5](3)H < KB[CH(CH3)C2H5](3)H. The polymerization yields are almost equal for Na[H2Al(OCH2CH2OCH3)(2)], KB[CH-(CH3)C2H5](3)H and LiB(C2H5)3H, but the molecular weights increase in the order Na[H2Al(OCH2CH2OCH3)(2)] < KB[CH(CH3)C2H5](3)H < LiB(C2H5)(3)H. The polysiloles emit green light at 520 nm and are electroluminescent at 520 nm.