Synthesis of novel polyfluorene with defined group in the center using aryl dipalladium complex as an initiator

Dinuclear Pd(II) complex DiPd-DPE with a bridging ligand C6H4OC6H4-4,4' was successfully synthesized by double oxidative addition reaction of Pd(PCy3)(4) with 4,4'-dibromodiphenyl ether in good yield. X-ray crystal structure analysis reveals that the Pd atoms have the nearly square-planar coordination geometry with the similar bond lengths of two Pd-Br as well as four Pd-P, implying that two Pd(II) centers have similar reactivity. Using the dinuclear Pd(II) complex DiPd-DPE as an initiator, novel polyfluorene (PF) with a defined group (C6H4OC6H4-4,4') in the middle of polymer main chain was prepared, demonstrated by MALDI-TOF analysis. (C) 2013 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved