Patent ID: 8217183

Claim:
A method for making a β″-di-R-substituted fused thiophene compound, comprising: di-acylating tetra-bromo dithiophene of the formula (I): contacting the resulting α-di-acyl-β-di-bromo-dithiophene compound of the formula (II): with a 2-mercaptoacetate to form the cyclized α″-carboxy-β″-di-R-substituted fused thiophene of the formula (III): converting the α″-carboxy-β″-di-R-substituted fused thiophene (III) to the corresponding diacid of the formula (IV): and decarboxylating the diacid (IV) to provide the β″-di-R-substituted fused thiophene of the formula (V): where each R is independently a substituted or unsubstituted, branched or unbranched C 4 to C 25 hydrocarbylene, and R 1 is independently a substituted or unsubstituted, branched or unbranched C 1 to C 6 hydrocarbylene.