Synthesis of isoindigo-derived conjugated polymers ball-milling metal-free polymerization

Herein, we report a ball-milling metal-free polymerization to synthesize isoindigo-derived conjugated polymers in the presence of readily available tris(diethylamino)phosphine. The resulting polymers possess comparable molecular weights and similar optical and electronic properties relative to their counterparts prepared via the solvent method. This new solvent-free and metal-free polymerization method can be performed under ambient conditions. Isoindigo-derived conjugated polymers have been synthesized via ball-milling metal-free polymerization in the presence of readily available tris(diethylamino)phosphine under ambient conditions.