Synthesis of tetracationic organic salt from 4,4'-bipyridine

This report describes the synthesis of a tetracationic organic salt from 4,4'-bipyridine and 1-bromooctane using 1,3-dibromopropane as a spacer just in three simple steps. A careful monooctylation of one of the nitrogen atoms of 4,4'-bipyridine using 1-bromoocatane followed by the dimeriztion using 1,3-dibromopropane as a linker resulted a tetracationic organic salt of formula [C3H6(C8Bipyr)2]Br4. 1H and 13C NMR, and CHN elemental analysis as well as ultra high vacuum spectroscopic technique (XPS) were employed to confirm the synthesis and the purity of this compound. This compound has demonstrated molar conductivity of 4320 S cm2 mol-1 unexpected from a salt with 1:4 cation to anion ratio. It is expected that this salt would have potential applications in materials such as for low-molecular-weight gelators and the preparation of solid films for organic electronic applications. KEY WORDS: 4,4'-Bipyridine, Tetracationic, 1,3-bis(N-octyl-4,4'-bipyridine)propanium Bull. Chem. Soc. Ethiop. 2017, 31(3), 499-508. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/bcse.v31i3.14