Synthesis of Conducting Organic Polymeric Materials Mediated by Metals: How the Organic Chemists Make Some of the Most Advanced Polymeric Materials

Since the discovery of the electronic conducting properties of poly(acetylene), many other organic conjugated systems have been studied, having acquired increased importance in the current technology. In this context, organometallic chemistry has played an important role in the catalytic version as well as in the stoichiometric version of their synthesis. In this review, from the first Ziegler catalyst used for Shirakawa to the new palladium based catalysts which allow smooth cross-coupling reactions of complex systems will be discussed. General mechanisms showing how the metal organometallic complexes work in these reactions are presented for a better understanding of why these systems, which have been developed for a general organic synthetic purpose, are used in polymerization.