Organometallic chemistry directed towards the synthesis of electroactive materials: stereoselective routes to extended polyconjugated systems

Various synthetic methodologies involving organometallic reagents and leadi ng to conjugated oligomers and polymers are presented. Polyenes and oligome rs of poly(paraphenylenevinylene) with well-defined length of the conjugate d system were prepared by straightforward synthetic procedures based upon o rganometallic derivatives of silicon or boron. Fluorinated oligo(para-pheny lenes) containing up to five aromatic rings were easily obtained by homocou pling reaction promoted by copper(I) thiophenecarboxylate. The Stille cross -coupling reaction was applied to the synthesis of poly(para-phenylenevinyl ene) polymers with various substituents on the aromatic rings. Some relevan t electro-optical properties of these materials are also discussed.