A New Generation of 6,6′-Disubstituted 2,2′-Bipyridines: Towards NovelOligo(bipyridine) Building Blocks for Potential Applications in Materials Science and Supramolecular Chemistry

The 6,6′-disubstituted 2,2′-bipyridines and oligo(bipyridines) are often used as ligands in supramolecular chemistry; however, their range of application has been limited due to the lack of unsymmetrically functionalized compounds and their poor solubility. We describe herein a new generation of specially designed unsymmetrical bipyridine building blocks possessing different protecting groups for the hydroxy functionality and reasonable solubility behavior. These molecules permit the synthesis of a wide range of functionalized oligo(bipyridines) with new potential applications in supramolecular chemistry and materials science. As initial examples, we present the synthesis of mono- and bis-functionalized bis- and tris-2,2′-biypridines.