Poly(aniline boronic acid): A New Precursor to Substituted Poly(aniline)s

A novel strategy for preparing a wide range of substituted poly(aniline)s from a single precursor is described. This approach relies on a boron activation/electrophilic displacement reaction resulting in ipso-substitution. Specifically, we demonstrate this strategy to prepare a few of the many possible structures that can be generated from poly(aniline boronic acid), including poly(hydroxyaniline) and halogenated poly(aniline)s. The ability to tune the properties of poly(aniline) through the generation of these new structures will be useful in diverse fields where poly(aniline) is used ranging from polymer-based electronics to sensors.