Boron-bridged poly(ferrocenylene)s as promising materials for nanoscale molecular wires

The ferrocene-containing polymer [-fc-B(Br)-]n (6) with an average chain length of ca. 20 repeat units (n = 20) is readily accessible from fc(BBr2)2 and HSiEt3 [fc = (C5H4)2Fe] via a novel polycondensation reaction. Treatment of 6 with excess THF yields the highly soluble alkoxy-substituted derivative [-fc-B(O(CH2)4Br)-]n (10; n = 20).