Synthesis, electrochemistry and photoconductivity of oligo- and poly-(1,1′-dihexylferrocenylenes)

Oligo- and poly-(1,1′-dihexylferrocenylenes), more soluble than unsubstituted oligo- and poly-(1,1′-ferrocenylenes), were synthesized by reaction of dihexylfulvalene dianion with [FeCl2(thf)2](thf = tetrahydrofuran). Electrochemical properties of pentamers and a hexamer were revealed and compared with theory for a system with a linear combination of redox centres. Charge-transfer complexes of poly(dihexylferrocenylene)(M= 5000, M/Mn= 1.2) with tetracyanoethylene and 7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquino-dimethane exhibit photoconductivity.