Synthesis of hexastyrylbenzenes

Article abstract of DOI:10.1055/s-1997-1182

(E,E,E,E,E,E)-Hexakis(2-phenylethenyl)benzene (7a) and some derivatives 7b-e with three or nine alkoxy groups were prepared by a synthetic sequence of four steps. Starting from 1,3,5-tribromo-2,4,6-trimethylbenzene (1) the first three styryl groups were introduced by a Heck reaction, and the second three styryl groups by a Wittig-Horner reaction.