SYNTHESIS OF ALPHA,OMEGA-DIFUNCTIONALIZED OLIGO(P-PHENYLENEETHYNYLENE)S AND POLY(P-PHENYLENEETHYNYLENE)S

The synthesis and characterization of soluble rodlike oligo-and poly(1 ,4-phenyleneethynylene)s end-capped with various functional groups wer e achieved. The molecular weights were estimated by GPC and H-1 NMR sp ectroscopy. The possibility of quantitatively introducing different or identical functional groups at the chain ends was demonstrated by the synthesis of donor-and acceptor-substituited oligo(1,4-phenyleneethyn ylene)s and of poly(1,4-phenyleneethynylene)s functionalized with prot ected thiol moieties. The latter polymers can, after deprotection of t he thiol functions, possibly serve as molecular wires and allow the br idging of a small gap between two gold nanoelectrodes.