Dendrimers as solubilizing groups for conducting polymers: Preparation andcharacterization of polythiophene functionalized exclusively with aliphatic ether convergent dendrons

The first conducting polythiophene, having only dendritic solubilizers, has been prepared using a Stille coupling approach. The use of second and thir d generation aliphatic ether convergent dendrons as a solubilizing platform facilitated the preparation of dendrimer-oligothiophene hybrid macromonome rs having minimal substitution. Polymers were then prepared via an A(2) + B -2 step-growth polymerization between an oligothiophene-dibromide macromono mer and 2,5-bis(trimethylstannyl)thiophene using Pd(PPh3)(2)Cl-2 as the cat alyst. Both the dendrimer size and the dendrimer to thiophene unit ratio we re variables that required optimization in order to obtain a solution-proce ssable conducting polymer. Conductivities as high as 200 S/cm were measured for iodine doped thin films of the polythiophene with six thiophene repeat units for each third generation dendron.