Direct C-H:C-H Arylation Polymerization of 3,4-Propylenedioxythiophene Derivatives

In this manuscript, we report, for the first time, a direct C-H:C-H arylation process for the polymerization of 3,4-propylenedioxythiophene derivatives. The requirement of aryl halides monomers can be completely excluded in this process, making the process atom economical and environmentally friendly. We could successfully homopolymerize Prodot-diethylhexyl using palladium acetate as catalyst. The optimized process required the stepwise ramping of the temperature from 70 °C to 140 °C. It was also observed that a direct heating of the polymerization mixture to 140 °C results in the decomposition of the catalyst leading to unsuccessful polymerization. At present, the exact mechanism of the whole process is not clear.