Nickel Catalyst with a Hybrid P, N Ligand for Kumada Catalyst Transfer Polycondensation of Sterically Hindered Thiophenes.

A highly active nickel catalyst with a hybrid P,N ligand is successfully used for the first time for the polymerization of a thiophene monomer with sterically very demanding side groups. The performance of this catalyst is by far not achievable with commercially available standard catalysts. Polythiophenes with special side chain patterns can thus be made with predetermined molecular weight, low dispersity, and high regioregularity, which enable the preparation of various large crystalline superstructures for the investigation of anisotropic optoelectronic properties in the absence of π-π interactions.