Poly(arylene\nether)s via Cu(II)-Catalysis

Poly(arylene ether)s (PAEs) are a versatile class of\nthermoplastic\nmaterials with commercial importance. Currently their synthesis relies\npredominantly on either nucleophilic or electrophilic aromatic substitution\nreactions, severely limiting the scope of available PAEs. Herein,\nwe report the copper(II)-catalyzed polycondensation of electronically\nunactivated aryl bromides with bisphenols to afford a wide range of\nnew PAEs. These PAEs are characterized by their thermal and mechanical\nproperties. Functional PAEs were produced that have reversible acid-\nand redox-triggered chromophores incorporated into the backbone, which\nillustrates the utility of these methods.