The two types of highly-ordered oligo(3-hexylthiophene)s in head-to-head orientation, a series of α,ω-disubstituted oligothiophenes and a series of bis(dicyanomethylene)oligothienoquinonoids, were synthesized. The properties of these compounds are discussed on the basis of the electronic spectra and cyclic voltammetry.

A series of (porphyrin)–(C≡C)2–C6H4–R1 (R1 = NO2, H, Me, and OMe) were synthesized by the oxidative coupling of ethynyl porphyrins and phenylacetylenes in the presence of copper(II) acetate in pyridine. Electronic and electrochemical spectra of the compounds with R1 = H, Me, and OMe are quite similar, while pronounced change was observed for the compound with R1 = NO2, especially for the meso-substituted one, indicating that intramolecular charge transfer is responsible for the difference.

2,2′-(Dihexyl-2,2′-bithienylidene-5,5′-diylidene)bis(propanedinitrile)s (dihexylbithienoquinonoid derivatives), in which two 3-hexylthiophene moieties are connected with head-to-tail (HT) and tail-to-tail (TT) orientations, were synthesized. HT bithienoquinonoid was isolated in a single form together with a small amount of its bromo derivative, similarly to the case for the head-to-head (HH) orientational isomer. On the other hand, TT isomer exhibited a peculiar feature in solution, affording an equilibrium mixture of two geometrical isomers. Electronic and electrochemical properties of these bithienoquinonoids were studied and compared with those of HH isomer. The results proved that all these bithienoquinonoid compounds possess highly polarizable and electron-acceptable properties. HH bithienoquinonoid was reduced through one two-electron transfer process, while HT and TT isomers were reduced through two one-electron transfer processes via stable radical anions to the corresponding dianions.

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The unsymmetrically substituted bi- and quaterthiophene derivatives were synthesized. The unsymmetrically substituted bithiophenes carrying the electron-withdrawing substituent X on one of the outer thiophene rings exhibited the maxima of absorption bands at the longer wavelengths than the symmetrically disubstituted bithiophene derivatives, while the unsymmetrical quaterthiophenes had such maxima at the shorter wavelengths than the corresponding symmetrical ones. The trend of bathochromic shift of the longest wavelength absorption bands due to the electron-withdrawing substituent X was more pronounced in case of bi- or quaterthiophenes bearing push–pull substituents. The unsymmetrical quaterthiophenes exhibited the greater third-order nonlinear optical (TNLO) properties than the corresponding bithiophenes, similarly to the case between the symmetrical bi- and quaterthiophenes. However, the TNLO properties of the unsymmetrical bi- and quaterthiophenes showed no dependence on the electron-withdrawing strength of the substituent X, unlike those of the symmetrical ones.