Patent ID: 8653227

Claim:
A process for preparing a regioregular homopolymer or copolymer of a 3-substituted thiophene, a 3-substituted selenophene, a 3-substituted thiazol, or a 3-substituted selenazol, the process comprising: a) reacting a 3-substituted 2,5-dihalothiophene, a 3-substituted 2,5-dihaloselenophene, a 3-substituted 2,5-dihalothiazol, or a 3-substituted 2,5-dihaloselenazol with at least one selected from the group consisting of reactive zinc metal, magnesium metal, and an organomagnesium halide, to obtain an organozinc or organomagnesium intermediate comprising a halozinc or a halomagnesium group; b) contacting the organozinc or the organomagnesium intermediate with a Ni(II), a Ni(0), a Pd(II), or a Pd(0) catalyst; and c) polymerizing the organozinc or the organomagnesium intermediate, to obtain a regioregular head-to-tail homopolymer or copolymer of a 3-substituted thiophene, a 3-substituted selenophene, a 3-substituted thiazol, or a 3-substituted selenazol, wherein: the polymerizing occurs at a temperature rising from a lower temperature T 1 to a higher temperature T 2 during a time t 1 ; T 1 is in a range of from −40 to 5° C.; T 2 is in a range of from −20 to 40° C.; T 2 −T 1 is at least 10° C.; and an average rate of increase (T 2 −T 1 )/t 1 is in a range of from 0.05° C./min to 1° C./min.