The potential applications of poly(p‐phenylene vinylene) derivatives and its oligomers in organic electronics have attracted great interest in recent years. In this study, a novel palladium supported on halloysite heterogeneous catalyst (Pd/HNTs) was prepared, characterized and its catalytic activity for obtaining p‐phenylenevinylene oligomers was investigated in the Heck coupling of styrene and 2,5‐diiodo‐1,4‐dimethoxybenzene using conventional and environmentally benign solvents. Thus, in the presence of 0.75 mol% catalyst, the product was obtained in 76% yield using ethanol as solvent. To evaluate the versatility of the Pd/HNTs catalyst, the synthesis of a series of p‐phenylenevinylene oligomers and divinylbenzene derivatives was performed obtaining yields between 58 and 93%. In addition, the catalyst could be recovered and reused for four reaction cycles without significant loss of its catalytic activity. Finally, the photophysical characterization of the synthesized molecules was performed.

The title compound 1,4-di(2-butoxycarbonyl-trans-vinyl)-2,5dimethoxybenzene was synthesized in 94% yield through the Heck reaction between 2,5diiodo-1,4-dimethoxybenzene and n-butyl acrylate, using bis(dibenzylideneacetone) palladium(0) as homogeneous catalyst.