PhD candidate (Chemistry) Geoff Sinclair will discuss the use of direct (hetero)arylation (DAr) and direct (hetero)arylation polymerization (DHAP) as a tool for the synthesis of conjugated organic small molecules and polymers.
Interest in conjugated polymers stems from their ability as a material to combine the physical and mechanical properties of organic polymers with the semiconducting properties of inorganic electronics. In order to suit the wide range of applications and desired properties, tailor-made polymers containing conjugated aromatic backbones with various functionalities must be designed and synthesized. Versatile methods for C-C bond formation are therefore ubiquitous in the synthesis of these types of polymers and small molecules.
Traditional methods for this C-C bond formation include organometallic cross-couplings such as palladium-catalyzed Suzuki and Stille couplings, as well as nickel-catalyzed Kumada and Negishi couplings. While these have proven to be robust for the synthesis of many conjugated polymers through the coupling of (hetero)arylhalides and organometallic (hetero)aromatics, direct arylation (DAr) has recently emerged as an alternative to these traditional cross-couplings.
This method involves the direct coupling of a (hetero)aryl sp2 C-H bond with an aryl halide, forgoing the need for organometallic pre-functionalization.
Biographical Sketch
Geoff Sinclair is pursuing his PhD (Chemistry) in the development of new methods for the synthesis of conjugated organic materials under the supervision of Prof. Derek Schipper in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Waterloo. Geoff received his BSc. from the University of Waterloo in 2015. His current research involves the synthesis of conjugated materials through the dehydrative coupling of thiazole N-oxides.