Light Directs Monomer Coordination in Catalyst-Free Grignard Photopolymerization
Year: 2021
Type: preprint
Abstract: π-Conjugated polymers can serve as active layers in flexible and lightweight electronics, and are conventionally synthesized by transition-metal-mediated polycondensation at elevated temperatures. We recently reported a photopolymerization of electron-deficient heteroaryl Grignard monomers that enables the catalyst-free synthesis of n-type π-conjugated polymers. Herein we provide an experimental and computational investigation of the mechanism of this photopolymerization. Spectroscopic studies performed in situ and after quenching reveal that the propagating species is a radical anion with halide end groups. DFT calculations for model oligomers suggest a Mg-templated SRN1-type coupling, in which Grignard monomer coordination to the radical anion chain avoids the formation of free sp2 radicals and enables C–C bond formation with very low barriers. We find that light plays an unusual role in the reaction, photoexciting the radical anion chain to shift electron density to the termini and thus favor productive monomer binding.
Institutions: Northwestern University, Westmont College
Language: English
Subfield: Organic Chemistry
Field: Chemistry
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
Awards: G1276186940, G1523888516, CCI Phase I: NSF Center for Synthesizing Quantum Coherence, Acquisition of a 500 MHz NMR Spectrometer for Chemical Research, Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP), G336680401, G4433393426, G5306386714, G5538550880, NNCI: Soft and Hybrid Nanotechnology Experimental (SHyNE) Resource, G6360741456, G6386240557, G6627702815, G7166626378, G7344105922, G7461832402, G7570481651, G8230932042
OpenAlex ID: W4251090234