Cross-coupling reactions group polymers

An analogous polymer, 162, with diethynyldiphenylene spacers that possesses 100% complexation of arene groups to Cr(CO)3 moieties has been prepared.The solubility was low, although molecular weights M of ca. 7,800 were estimated. In this case, the synthesis involved a cross-coupling reaction of the />-dichloroarene complex with the bis(trimethylstannyl)dialkyne. Similar materials with diethynylthiophene spacers have also been described. 

Conjugated polymers remain prime candidates for use as semiconductors in the emergent field of organic electronics [40-43]. Such materials are typically synthesized via polycondensation reactions, using a variety of aryl cross-coupling reactions. These methods are subject to problems that relate to, for example, the elimination of precursor functional groups. Unfortunately, the polymers produced via these methods often contain defects and unwanted branching, that may have deleterious effects on the conductive properties of the resultant material. 

Polymers can be effective stabilisers of NPs through electronic and steric effects. Dendrimers are highly branched polymers only a few nanometers in diameter. Dendrimers are defined by a central core, interior polymeric branches and an exterior functionalized surface. Their uniform size, dispersity and water solubility (due to outer hydrophilic and metal encapsulating functional groups) make them ideal candidates as polymeric stabilizers for NP catalysed cross-coupling reactions. The encapsulated NPs are primarily eonfined sterically... 

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