Synthesis of furan-based conjugated polymers with tunable bandgaps via direct C–H arylation of oligofurans

Abstract

The biomedical field is increasingly utilizing organic semiconducting materials, driving interest in the green synthesis of conjugated polymers from biomass-derived monomers. This study introduces an efficient C–H arylation method to synthesize furan-based conjugated polymers using oligofurans as building blocks. The resulting polymers exhibit excellent solubility and photostability, and as photosensitizers, they can generate singlet oxygen under both light and ultrasound excitation, effectively eradicating bacteria. Notably, long oligofurans demonstrate greater reactivity than individual furan monomers, which is crucial for producing high-molecular-weight furan-based conjugated polymers via direct C–H arylation. Moreover, adjusting the length of the oligofuran building blocks enables the tuning of the polymers’ bandgaps across the visible to near-infrared regions. This work presents a promising eco-friendly synthesis strategy for developing furan-based conjugated polymers with tailored properties for biomedical applications.