Unprecedented Regioregular Poly(1,4-arylene)s Prepared by Nickel(II)-Catalyzed Cross-Coupling Polymerization of 2,5-Disubstituted Bromo(chloro)arylene.

The unprecedented synthesis of regioregular head-to-tail-type poly(1,4-arylene)s bearing different substituents at the 2- and 5-positions is described. They were prepared by the polymerization of 2,5-disubstituted bromo(chloro)arylenes by selective halogen-metal exchange with a Grignard reagent and subsequent cross-coupling polymerization with a nickel catalyst [NiCl2 (dppp)]. Formation of the regioregular poly(1,4-arylene)s were confirmed by NMR spectroscopy, and showed remarkable differences to those polymers having uncontrolled regioregularity. Polymerization of bromo(chloro)arylenes with a chiral alkoxy substituent also led to the regioregular head-to-tail-type polyarylene, which demonstrated circular dichroism, thus suggesting formation of a structure with higher-order regularity.