Alkyl substituted [2.2]paracyclophane-1,9-dienes.

[2.2]Paracyclophane-1,9-dienes substituted with n-octyl chains have been synthesised from the corresponding dithia[3.3]paracyclophanes using a benzyne induced Stevens rearrangement. The use of 2-(trimethylsilyl)phenyl trifluoromethanesulfonate and tetra-n-butylammonium fluoride as the in situ benzyne source gave significantly improved yields over traditional sources of benzyne and enabled the preparation of n-octyl substituted [2.2]paracyclophane-1,9-dienes on a multi-gram scale.

Monotelechelic poly(p-phenylenevinylene)s by ring opening metathesis polymerisation.

Poly(p-phenylenevinylene)s (PPVs) with single reactive end groups have been prepared with high molecular weights, narrow polydispersities (DM) and excellent end functionality (f). PPVs functionalised with α-bromoester end groups are effective macroinitiators in the atom transfer radical polymerisation (ATRP) of methyl methacrylate (MMA).