Reactive Conjugated Polymers: Synthesis, Modification, and Electrochemical Properties of Polypentafluorophenylacetylene (Co)Polymers.

(Co)Polymers containing pentafluorophenylacetylene (F PA) have been prepared for the first time mediated by [Rh(nbd)Cl] /NEt to give materials with properties typical of poly(phenylacetylene)s prepared with this catalyst/co-catalyst combination. It is demonstrated that the F PA repeat units in these new (co)polymers serve as convenient reactive species for post-polymerization modification with thiols via para-fluoro aromatic nucleophilic substitution reactions to give an entirely new family of novel thioether-functional polyene materials accompanied by absorption maxima shifts of up to 130 nm. Finally, the electrochemical properties of these new fluorinated polyene materials are briefly examined and the distinct difference in behavior of the F PA homopolymer versus polyphenylacetylene, copolymers, and functional derivatives is highlighted.