Synthesis of penta-p-phenylenes with oligo(ethylene glycol) side chains

We report an efficient synthesis of a series of penta-p-phenylene derivatives with four side chains of various lengths, including deca(ethylene glycol) groups. The key feature of the synthesis is that the side chains are efficiently introduced in the last step, facilitating optimization of the side chains for different applications. Raman spectroscopy study indicates a similarly high rigidity for all these compounds, even those with long oligo(ethylene glycol) side chains. The deca(ethylene glycol)-substituted penta-p-phenylene derivatives are versatile building blocks for construction of nanometric, tripod-shaped adsorbates for biological applications.