In a three-neck, oven dried, 250 ml round bottom flask, 2,5-dihydro-1,4-dioxo-3,6-dithienylpyrrolo[3,4-c]-pyrrole (2), (7.0 g. 23.30 mmol) and anhydrous K2CO3 (8.95 g, 69.91 mmol) were dissolved in 250 ml of anhydrous N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF), and heated to 120° C. under argon for 1 h. 2-octyl-1-dodecylbromide (25.27 g, 69.91 mmol) was then added dropwise, and the reaction mixture was further stirred and heated overnight at 130° C. The reaction mixture was cooled to room temperature and then poured into water and stirred for 30 minutes. The product was extracted with chloroform, then successively washed with water, and dried over MgSO4. Removal of the solvent afforded the crude product which was then purified using column chromatography on silica gel using a mixture of hexane and chloroform as eluent, giving a purple solid (11.0 g, 54%). 1H NMR (CDCl3): (0.87 (t, 12H), 1.13-1.45 (m, 64H), 1.89 (s, 2H), 4.00 (d, 4H), 7.26 (d, 2H), 7.52 (d, 2H), 8.87 (d, 2H). MS (MALDI-TOF) m/z 860.63 (M). calcd. for C54H88N2O2S2=860.25.
