Highly selective route to unsymmetrically substituted 1-{2-[(butylsulfanyl)methyl]-5-(chloromethyl)-4-methoxyphenoxy}-3,7-dimethyloctane and isomers toward synthesis of conjugated polymer OC1C10 used in LEDs: Synthesis and optimization

A new and convenient route to an unsymmetrically substituted sulfinyl monom er of precursor polymer toward poly[2-methyl-5-(3,7-dimethyloctyloxy)-p-phe nylenevinyline] (OC1C10) is described. OC1C10 is a commercial polymer used as the active layer in LEDs. Therefore, the optimization of the reaction co nditions of the monomer synthesis was of some importance for a possible com mercialization of this new process. It was possible to increase the overall yield by a factor of 1.5, as compared to the route previously used to obta in these compounds.