Cross-coupling reactions in the chemistry of silole-containing π-conjugated oligomers and polymers

Various types of silole-containing π-conjugated oligomers and polymers, including the silole–pyrrole cooligomers, silole–diethynylarene copolymers, silole–arene alternating copolymers such as the silole–thiophene copolymer, and 2,5-diarylsiloles, have been synthesized by the combination of the new intramolecular reductive cyclization of bis(phenylethynyl)silanes with the well-established transition metal complex-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions. The silole-based π-electron systems thus prepared have unique photophysical properties due to the unusual electronic structure of the silole ring. Some of them have been applied as new materials for organic electroluminescent devices.