The tenth anniversary of Suzuki polycondensation (SPC)

This article de describes the successful transfer of the Suzuki cross-coupling (SCC) reaction to polymer synthesis, one of the developments within the last decade of polymer synthesis. The prepared by Suzuki polycondensation (SPC) and its Ni-catalyzed reductive counterpart are soluble and processable poly(arylene)s that, because of their rigid and con jugated backbones, are of interest for materials sciences. Achievable molar masses easily compete with of traditional polyesters and polyamides. This article also provides insight into some synthetic problems associated with the trans fer of SCC from low molar mass developments within the last organic chemistry to high molar lines the increasing importance of mass polymer chemistry by addressing issues such as monomer purity, stoichiometric balance, achievable molar masses, and defects in the polymer structure. Although the emphasis of this article is synthetic and structural issues, some potential ap plications of the polyarylenes obtained are briefly mentioned. Together with the enormous developments in the areas of metallocene, ring-opening metathesis, and acyclic diene metathesis polymerization, the success of SPC impressingly under developments within the last organic chemistry to high molar lines the increasing importance of transitionmetal-catalyzed CC-bond-forming reactions in polymer syn (C) 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 39: 1533-1556, 2001