A VERSATILE PALLADIUM-CATALYZED SYNTHESIS OF N-ALKYL-SNBSTITUTED OLIGO-P-PHENYLS

High-yield Pd-catalyzed syntheses of constitutionally homogeneous, n-a lkyl-substituted oligo-p-phenyls having three to fifteen benzene rings connected to each other exclusively in the 1,4-(para-) fashion are re ported. Most of the oligomers described readily dissolve in common org anic solvents. Furthermore, their thermal phase-transition temperature s show that some of these rodlike oligomers can exist in different cry stalline modifications and/or form liquid-crystalline mesophases.