Zirconocene Coupling Routes to Electroactive Oligomers and Polymers

Zirconacyclopentadienes are extremely versatile synthetic intermediates and we have long used these intermediates to access highly functionalized oligomers and polymers for applications in organic electronics. The common theme in this endeavor is an efficient initial alkyne coupling to form an intermediate with one or more zirconacyclopentadiene rings, followed by a divergent zirconocene-transfer reaction that allows access to a wide range of functionalities, including heterocycles, six-membered rings, and dienes. Importantly, this strategy can be used to divergently tune electronic and optical properties in the final material.