A Rational Design of Highly Controlled Suzuki–Miyaura Catalyst-Transfer Polycondensation for Precision Synthesis of Polythiophenes and Their Block Copolymers: Marriage of Palladacycle Precatalysts with MIDA-Boronates

Herein, we report a highly efficient Suzuki–Miyaura catalyst-transfer polycondensation (SCTP) of 3-alkylthiophenes using bench-stable but highly active Buchwald dialkylbiarylphospine Pd G3 precatalysts and N-methylimidodiacetic (MIDA)-boronate monomers. Initially, the feasibility of the catalyst-transfer process was examined by screening various dialkylbiarylphospine-Pd(0) species. After optimizing a small molecule model reaction, we identified both RuPhos and SPhos Pd G3 precatalysts as excellent catalyst systems for this purpose. On the basis of these model studies, SCTP was tested using either RuPhos or SPhos Pd G3 precatalyst, and 5-bromo-4-n-hexylthien-2-yl-pinacol-boronate. Poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) was produced with controlled molecular weight and narrow dispersity for a low degree of polymerization (DP) only, while attempts to synthesize P3HT having a higher DP with good control were unsuccessful. To improve the control, slowly hydrolyzed 5-bromo-4-n-hexylthien-2-yl-MIDA-boronate was introduce...