Synthesis of 2,5-dimethyl-3,4-divinylthiophene

CHED 883

Brian D. Czetty and Mark S. Erickson. Department of Chemistry, Hartwick College, P.O. Box 307, Hartwick Drive, Oneonta, NY 13820
Organic polymers with extended pi-conjugated backbones display interesting optical and electronic properties and have great promise for use in a variety of electronic devices. Polythiophenes are semiconductive, and their wide range of possible structural configurations makes them excellent candidates for study. One monomer of interest, 2,5-dimethyl-3,4-divinylthiophene, was synthesized in three steps from 2,5-dimethylthiophene in an overall 16% yield. The synthesis of 2,5-dimethyl-3,4-divinylthiophene along with its attempted acyclic diene metathesis (ADMET) polymerization will be presented.