4,4′-Dibromo-2-amino-1,1′-biphenyl (16.35 g, prepared according to Libman and Slack (1951) J. Chem. Soc., p. 2588), iodobenzene (26.52 g, 0.13 mol), flake potassium hydroxide (22.4 g, 0.35 mol), 1,10-phenanthroline (0.45 g), copper (I) chloride (0.25 g), and toluene (30 ml) were charged into a flask and stirred at reflux for 15 hours. The dark reaction mixture was cooled to room temperature and diluted with 200 ml of toluene. The toluene solution was washed with DI water, dried with magnesium sulfate, and evaporated. The dark residue obtained was recrystallized trice from hexane/toluene (4:1 volume) to yield 10 grams of white crystals to yield the desired monomer. 1H NMR (CDCl3): δ=6.8–7.5, multiple peaks.
