Synthesis and characterization of repeating sequence copolymers with alkylidene fluorene units

A series of repeating sequence copolymers with the general formula [(AF)x(CH-2)4CH2=CH2(CH2)4]n (AF = (C10H21)2-alkylidene fluorene; x = 1-6) were prepared by acyclic diene metathesis of preformed segmers. These well-defined polymers, which are soluble in common organic solvents, exhibited GPC molecular weights of 15.2 k to 55.6 k in THF and chloroform vs. polystyrene standards. Absorbance and emission wavelengths were relatively independent of the AF units per segmer. All segmers and polymers exhibit liquid crystalline behavior. Phase transitions for these polymers depend on sequence