Advances in the Synthesis of π-Conjugated Polymers by Photopolymerization

Abstract

π-Conjugated polymers (CPs) combine the flexibility, processability, and lightness of plastics with semiconducting properties for optoelectronic applications. These polymers are conventionally synthesized by thermal transition-metal-catalyzed polycondensation. Photochemical approaches to CPs offer the possibility of direct photopatterning, but present mechanistic challenges. Shimidzu first described the photopolymerization of thiophene derivatives in the 1990s, but the field lay dormant for many years. Recently, both oxidative and reductive photopolymerizations have been developed to access p-type and n-type materials. This Minireview summarizes these developments and the outlook for this nascent field.