Synthesis and Characterization of Some Thallium Salt Complexes

Levi Dopierala, Western Kentucky University

Abstract

Research into conductive organic and organometallic polymers began in 1977 when Heeger, Macdiarmid, and Shirakawa first doped polyacteylene with Iodine. They found that this doping granted the polymer metallic properties increasing conductivity by 11 orders of magnitude.^[1] Unfortunately, polyacteylene is highly air-sensitive making it difficult to work with and limiting its applications. Therefore, current research is focused on synthesizing new organic and organometallic conductive polymers. The drive to discover these new polymers stems from their application flexibility and their low production cost. Reported here is the synthesis of novel organometallic polymer precursors. Lead by Dr. Chad Snyder a library of chloro-phenyl based fulvenes, 5,6 fused ring pyridazines, and thallium Cp salts have successfully been synthesized. Research is currently underway to synthesize rhenium and manganese pyridazines through transmetalation of the thallium salts. The off-metal route of synthesis was followed as opposed to the previously reported on-metal route. Characterization was performed by ¹H-NMR, ¹³CNMR, and IR. Additionally, research has begun on bromo-thiophene complexes. So far, bromothiophene fulvenes, pyridazines, and thallium Cp salts have been synthesized and work is currently underway to produced rhenium and manganese pyridazines as well. Characterization was performed by ¹H-NMR and ¹³C-NMR.