For the preparation of semiconducting polymers often 'standard' catalytic systems are used without further optimisation. New ligands, such as N-heterocyclic carbenes have shown excellent activity in cross-coupling reactions (e.g. Suzuki-Miyaura reaction, or Hartwig-Buchwald amination). These systems show excellent conversions under mild conditions and even allow the use of aryl chlorides as reagents. Nevertheless, previously no system has been reported for the synthesis of conjugated polymers, e.g. the Suzuki polycondensation or Buchwald-Hartwig type polycondensation using these catalysts. A NHC-Pd based catalytic system was optimised for a polyamination reaction and the catalyst [(IPr)Pd(allyl)Cl] was found to be the most active. Polytriarylamines were synthesised using the optimised catalytic system and tested in organic field-effect transistors. Mobilities found were low which was found to be attributed to the presence of high molecular weight fractions. Molecular weights were controlled using an in situ end-capping approach and polymers tested in the semiconducting layer of OFETs gave similar mobilities tothose reported earlier. Several polytriarylamines, which have not been reported previously, were synthesised using NHC-chemistry and the in situ end-cappingapproach, as well as polytriarylamines that have been reported previously using Pd/phosphine catalysts. One library containing polymers based on biphenyles andbridged biphenyles and another library containing polymers with bridged oligoarenes were synthesised. Suzuki polycondensation was also studied besides the polyamination protocol and low catalyst loadings and reaction temperatures could be realised using a NHC-Pd catalyst. Sulfur containing monomers that could not be polymerised using the polyamination were polymerised successfully. All polymers were fully characterised and studied as the active layer in organic field-effect transistors. The highest mobilities determined for these polymers (~10-2 cm2/Vs) is close to the highest reported for this class of polymer reported to date.
Date of Award | 1 Aug 2014 |
---|
Original language | English |
---|
Awarding Institution | - The University of Manchester
|
---|
Supervisor | Michael Turner (Supervisor) |
---|
- Semiconducting polymer
- Buchwald-Hartwig coupling
- N-heterocyclic carbene
- polytriarylamine
Polytriarylamines Containing Fused Ring and Heterocyclic Structures Prepared Using N-Heterocyclic Carbene Complexes of Palladium
Sprick, R. (Author). 1 Aug 2014
Student thesis: Phd