To an ice-cooled solution of 20 g (72 mmol) 3-[4-(6-hydroxy-hexyloxy)-phenyl]-acrylic acid methyl ester, 11.7 g (116 mmol) triethylamine and 4 crystals of BHT in 150 ml of dichloromethane was added dropwise 11.3 g (108 mmol) of methacryloyl chloride in 5 ml dichloromethane. The mixture was allowed to react for 2 hours, at which time the dichloromethane was removed under reduced pressure. The mixture was partitioned between water (100 ml) and ethyl acetate (100 ml) and the aqueous layer subsequently extracted twice more with 100 ml portions of ethyl acetate. The combined organic layers were washed with 100 ml portions of 1M HCl, water, 5% sodium hydrogen carbonate and brine and then dried with magnesium sulfate and concentrated. Recrystallization from ethanol gave 18 g (72% yield) of a white solid. H1 NMR (CDCl3): 7.65 (d, 1H, J=16 Hz), 7.47 (dd, 2H, J=2.1, 6.4 Hz), 6.89 (dd, 2H, J=1.9, 6.6 Hz), 6.30 (d, 1H, J=15.7 Hz), 6.1 (m, 1H), 5.56 (m, 1H), 4.17 (m, 2H), 4.00 (m, 2H), 3.80 (s, 3H), 1.95 (m, 3H), 1.8-1.4 (m, 8H).
