Microwave-assisted preparation of semiconducting polymers

Polymeric semiconducting materials are being utilized as components in a new generation of electronic devices. The generation of high quality polymeric semiconductors often involves transition metal-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions, which require long reaction times. Microwave heating can be very efficient in reducing reaction times and consequently leads to increased reaction yields and concomitantly reduces the amount of side products. This microreview aims to summarize the use of microwave heating to prepare conjugated polymers, which are specifically tailored towards applications in optoelectronic and electronic devices. Moreover, microwave heating is a valuable investigative screening towards novel materials when optimizing the backbone arrangement of unsaturated building blocks.