Exploring copper as a catalyst for cost effective synthesis of polyfluorenes: an alternative to platinum and palladium

Recent Advancement of Ullmann Condensation Coupling Reaction in the Formation of Aryl-Oxygen (C-O) Bonding by Copper-Mediated Catalyst

Transition metal-catalyzed chemical transformation of organic electrophiles and organometallic reagents belong to the most important cross coupling reaction in organic synthesis. The biaryl ether division is not only popular in natural products and synthetic pharmaceuticals but also widely found in many pesticides, polymers, and ligands. Copper catalyst has received great attention owing to the low toxicity and low cost. However, traditional Ullmann-type couplings suffer from limited substrate scopes and harsh reaction conditions. The introduction of homogeneous copper catalyst with presence of bidentate ligands over the past two decades has totally changed this situation as these ligands enable the reaction promoted in mild condition. The reaction scope has also been greatly expanded, rendering this copper-based cross-coupling attractive for both academia and industry. In this review, we will highlight the latest progress in the development of useful homogeneous copper catalyst with presence of ligand and heterogeneous copper catalyst in Ullmann type C-O cross-coupling reaction. Additionally, the application of Ullmann type C-O cross coupling reaction will be discussed.

Ullmann coupling for low-cost synthesis of anthracene-based polyfluorenes: A photophysical approach

A set of anthracene containing polyfluorenes (PFs) having 9,10-diphenylanthracene with alkyl substituents and aniline containing fluorenes were prepared. Commonly, light-emitting polymers were synthesized using expensive palladium-like catalysts. In the present work, palladium was replaced by copper as a cost-effective PF synthesis catalyst, which is also suitable for large-scale polymer synthesis. Synthesized PFs emit light in the blue region with a bandgap of 2.87–2.90 eV. Thermally stable PFs had a decomposition temperature of more than 305°C and a glass transition temperature of 125–138°C. PFs were soluble in organic solvents and had a molecular weight of around 21,700–25,500. The electrochemical study of these PFs showed low level of highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) energy of −5.16 to −5.26 eV, which was significantly higher than that of PF (5.7 eV). These findings suggested that the resulting PFs could be used as a component of the light-emitting diode.