Palladium‐catalyzed synthesis of poly(p‐phenyleneethynylene)s

Poly(p‐phenyleneethynylene)s were obtained by reacting 1,4‐dihaloarenes with 2‐methyl‐3‐butyn‐2‐ol in a two‐step one‐pot process. In the first step a dihaloarene is reacted with two equivalents of 2‐methyl‐3‐butyn‐2‐ol at room temperature in the presence of an aqueous base. For polycondensation a second equivalent of dihaloarene is added and reacted at 100°C. Soluble polymers with M̄w of 1–2 · 104 were obtained. They show blue fluorescence.