Tandem Kumada-Tamao catalyst-transfer condensation polymerization and Suzuki-Miyaura coupling for the synthesis of end-functionalized poly(3-hexylthiophene)

Successive Kumada-Tamao catalyst-transfer condensation polymerization of 2-bromo-5-chloromagnesio-3-hexylthiophene and Suzuki-Miyaura end-functionalization with pinacol arylboronate in one pot afforded poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) with a base-sensitive functional group at both ends. The use of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) bearing a boronic acid ester moiety at one end enabled one-pot synthesis of PMMA-b-P3HT-b-PMMA triblock copolymer.

Synergistic catalysis for the synthesis of semiconducting polymers

Organic semiconductors have received much interest over the past few decades. As the field has progressed, so has the complexity of the molecular structures of organic semiconductors. Often, the highest-performing organic semiconductors (i.e., those with the highest charge mobility or those that provide the highest power conversion efficiencies in organic photovoltaics) involve complex syntheses, making them very challenging to synthesize, even by experienced synthetic chemists. In this focused review, we report on recent efforts in developing more efficient synthetic pathways. Specifically, the concept of synergistic catalysis, which involves the use of two or more catalysts with orthogonal reactivity to enable reactions that are not possible with the use of a single catalyst, is introduced. Synergistic catalysis allows for controlled polymerizations, room-temperature reactions, and/or polymerizations with greater regioselectivity, opening the door to more time-, labor-, cost-, and energy-saving methods for synthesizing semiconducting polymers.

35th Australasian Polymer Symposium (APS) Research Highlights

This introduction sets the background to this special issue containing papers collected from the 35th Australasian Polymer Symposium (35APS) which was held on the Gold Coast, Queensland, from 12 to 15 July 2015. These works illustrate both the multidisciplinary nature and the breadth and depth of contemporary polymer science and engineering that was discussed at this meeting.