3.5- Dibromophenyl 4-boronic acid

Kim and Webster first prepared hb polyphenylenes from 3,5-dibromophenyl 4-boronic acid and dihalophenyl Grignard reagents by palladium-catalyzed and nickel-catalyzed aryl-aryl coupling reactions, respectively [76]. The structures of 3,5-dibromophenyl 4-boronic acid (1-8) and dihalophenyl Grignard reagents (1-9) are shown in Scheme 6. 

Scheme 6 Structures of 3,5-dibromophenyl 4-boronic acid and dihalophenyl Grignard reagents [76]...

A wide variety of monomers, such as (3,5-dibromophenyl)boronic acid, 3,5-bis(trimethylsiloxy)benzoyl chloride, 3,5-diacetoxybenzoic acid, and 2,2-dimethylol propionic acid have been used for the synthesis of hyperbranched polymers. A selection of these polymers are described in Sect. 3. The majority of the polymers are synthesized via step-wise polymerizations where A B monomers are bulk-polymerized in the presence of a suitable catalyst, typically an acid or a transesterification reagent. To accomphsh a satisfactory conversion, the low molecular weight condensation product formed during the reaction has to be removed. This is most often achieved by a flow of argon or by reducing the pressure in the reaction flask. The resulting polymer is usually used without any purification or, in some cases, after precipitation of the dissolved reaction mixture into a non-solvent. 

Completely aromatic, hyperbranched polyphenylenes were synthesized as monodendrons from AB2 type monomers by Kim and Webster [111, 112]. These dendrimers were prepared either by the homocoupling of 3,5-dibromophenyl boronic acid under modified Suzuki conditions, or by aryl-aryl coupling reactions involving 3,5-dihalo-phenyl Grignard reagents in the presence of Ni(II) catalysts as shown in Scheme 7. 

Concerted efforts to examine the synthesis and polymerization of such ABx monomers was however not attempted until 1989 when Kim and Webster (17) reported their preparation of hyperbranched polyphenylenes fi-om the AB2 monomers, 3,5-dibromophenyl boronic acid, 7, or 3,5-dibromophenyl magnesium bromide, 8 (Figure 1). In a similar way to dendrimers, the field of hyperbranched macromolecules has been extended considerably since this initial report. Hyperbranched polyesters based on fully aromatic, fiilly aliphatic, or partially aliphatic/aromatic systems have been extensively studied by a number of groups (18-20). Similarly, hyperbranched poly(etherketones) (21), poly(ethers) (22), poly(urethanes) (23), poly(siloxanes) (24), etc. have been prepared using classical step growth chemistry. 

Kim and Webster [57] were the first to show that trifunctional benzene-based monomers can also be used to synthesize poly(phenylene)s, in this case hyperbranched structures 31 based on 1,3,5-trisubstituled benzene cores. They self-condensed l,3-dibromophenyl-5-boronic acid leading to the formation of soluble, hyperbranched PPP-type macromolecule 31. 

In the past decade, there has appeared only one report, which can be classified under this heading, on the monodeoxygenation of spiro-adamantane-l,2-dioxetanes induced by catalytic amounts of tris-(2,4-dibromophenyl)-aminium hexachloroantimonate <1998T6939>. An electron-transfer mechanism from the aminium salt has been proposed for the observed formation of various ketones. Reports citing the electrophilic ring opening of dioxetanes by boron trifluoride, trifluoroacetic acid, and various other Lewis acids have been summarized in CHEC-II(1996) <1996CHEC-II(1B)1041>. 

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