10.1021/jo970548x
The research focuses on the synthesis and characterization of monodisperse oligo(phenyleneethynylene)s (oligoPPEs), which are oligomers of significant interest due to their potential use as models for polymers and as building blocks for nanoscopic architectures. The study employs an iterative convergent/divergent synthesis strategy based on the bromine-iodine selectivity of the Pd-catalyzed alkyne-aryl-coupling, the conversion of bromine to iodine via halogen metal exchange, and the use of trimethylsilyl (TMS) as an acetylene protecting group. Key chemicals used in the process include 1,4-dibromo-2,5-diisopentoxybenzene, 1,4-dibromo-2,5-dihexylbenzene, TMS-acetylene, n-BuLi, 1,2-diiodoethane, Pd(PPh3)2Cl2, and CuI. The synthesis was efficient, yielding gram amounts of octamers, and further derivatization to esters and carboxylic acids was described. The compounds were fully characterized using 1H and 13C NMR, UV/vis spectroscopy, and elemental analysis, with the results indicating a bathochromic shift in the UV/vis data and a linear relationship between chemical shift and concentration for the oligomers, suggesting potential aggregation effects. The successful synthesis and characterization of these monodisperse oligoPPEs with various functional groups open up possibilities for their use in constructing nanoarchitectures.