Direct (hetero)arylation polymerization: toward defect-free conjugated polymers

In a very short time, direct (hetero)arylation polymerization (DHAP) has established itself as a valuable and atom-economical alternative to traditional cross-coupling methods such as the Migita-Stille and Suzuki-Miyaura polymerizations for the synthesis of low cost and efficient conjugated polymers for organic electronics. Because of sustained research efforts combining in-depth theoretical calculations, the development of new ligands and the careful fine-tuning of polymerization conditions, selectivity and reactivity issues should be soon a thing of the past. This focus review highlights the recent advances that lead to defect-free polymeric semiconductors and conductors and the current limitations and challenges of DHAP as it moves toward simultaneously becoming an industrially feasible, environmentally friendly, and synthetically powerful polymerization technique.