Copper-Catalyzed Formal Dehydration Polymerization of Propargylic Alcohols via Cumulene Intermediates
Bin Wu1, Hao-Ze Su1, Zi-Yuan Wang1
1Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences (BNLMS), Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
Abstract:
Here we report a copper-catalyzed formal dehydration polymerization of propargylic alcohols. Copper catalysis allows for efficient in situ generation of [n]cumulenes (n = 3, 5) by a soft deprotonation/β-elimination pathway and subsequent polymerization via organocopper species. Alkyne polymers (Mn up to 36.2 kg/mol) were produced with high efficiency (up to 95% yield) and excellent functional group tolerance. One-pot synthesis of semiconducting head-to-head poly(phenylacetylene) was demonstrated through a polymerization-isomerization sequence.
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