Organometallic chemistry directed towards the synthesis of electroactive materials: stereoselective routes to extended polyconjugated systems

Various synthetic methodologies involving organometallic reagents and leading to conjugated oligomers and polymers are presented. Polyenes and oligomers of poly(paraphenylenevinylene) with well-defined length of the conjugated system were prepared by straightforward synthetic procedures based upon organometallic derivatives of silicon or boron. Fluorinated oligo(para-phenylenes) containing up to five aromatic rings were easily obtained by homocoupling reaction promoted by copper(I) thiophenecarboxylate. The Stille cross-coupling reaction was applied to the synthesis of poly(para-phenylenevinylene) polymers with various substituents on the aromatic rings. Some relevant electro-optical properties of these materials are also discussed.