10.1021/ol802011y
The study presents an efficient synthesis method for 2,6-disubstituted benzobisoxazoles, which are promising building blocks for organic semiconductors. The key chemicals involved are diaminobenzene diols, specifically 2,5-diaminohydroquinone (DAHQ) and 4,6-diaminoresorcinol (DAR), which react with various orthoesters to form the desired benzobisoxazoles. Orthoesters, such as triethyl orthoformate, triethyl orthoacetate, trimethylsilyl ethyl orthopropiolate, triethyl orthobromoacetate, and triethyl orthochloroacetate, serve as both reactants and solvents in the reactions. The study explores different catalysts, including traditional acids like H2SO4 and rare earth metal triflates like Y(OTf)3 and La(OTf)3, to optimize the reaction conditions. The optimized conditions involve using DMSO as a cosolvent, a catalytic amount of metal triflate, and pyridine to enhance yields and reduce reaction temperatures. The synthesized benzobisoxazoles can be further transformed into monomers for the synthesis of conjugated polymers, as demonstrated by the synthesis of a soluble PBO derivative through the Arbuzov reaction and subsequent polymerization.