The synthesis, characterization, and electrochromic properties of copolymers derived from 9,9-dialkyl-2,7-dibromofluorene (
18a, alkyl=C
10
H
21

;
24, alkyl=Et) and pyrrole, thiophene, 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene, and furan are described. Two synthetic routes to 9,9-diethyl-2,7-bis(pyrrol-2-yl)fluorene (
30) afford product in 30% and 20% yields, respectively. Monomer
30 undergoes electropolymerizationto yield electroactive polymer films. The lowest monomer oxidation potential (
E
p,m
=0.4 V
vs. Ag/Ag
+
) is found in tetraethylammonium tosylate (TEATOS)-CH
3
CN, but film formation is slow. Spectroelectrochemical analysis of poly(
30) reveals a band gap at 2.4 eV and upon polymer oxidation, two low energy absorptions peaking at 1.2 and 2.2 eV appear. This phenomenon is attributed to formation of bipolaron bands between the valence and conduction bands. Soluble fluorene-heterocycle polymers
34a-d have been synthesized by the Stille coupling reaction of
18a and 2,5-bis(trimethylstannyl)thiophene (
21a), 5,5′-bis(trimethylstannyl)-2,2′-bithiophene (
21b), 2,5-bis(trimethylstannyl)-3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (
21c), and 2,5-bis(trimethylstannyl)furan (
22), respectively, in high yields. The NMR spectra are consistent with the proposed structures of the polymers
34a-d, and no evidence of ring opening of the furyl unit in
34d is seen in the NMR and IR spectra. The molecular weights of
34a-d are in the range of 8000 g mol
–1
with polydispersity indices (PDI) of 2. Polymers
34a-c have band gaps measured at 2.4 eV, while polymer
34d has its gap at 2.6 eV. Polymers
34a-c undergo solution doping with SbCl
5
to form new low energy bipolaron bands at the expense of the absorption in the UV-VIS. However, polymer
34d does not oxidatively dope with SbCl
5
.