Formylation of 2,2'-bithiophene (I) either under Vilsmeier conditions (1) or by lithiation with LDA, followed by addition of DMF (2), provided aldehyde (II). This was protected as the dimethyl acetal (III) employing trimethyl orthoformate in the presence of montmorillonite K-10. After lithiation of (III) with n-BuLi, treatment with tributyltin chloride gave the stannyl derivative (IV). Stille coupling of (IV) with 2-iodo-4-(hydroxymethyl)thiophene (VI) (prepared by reduction of the corresponding aldehyde (V) with NaBH4), furnished the corresponding terthiophene, which after acid hydrolysis of the acetal protecting group provided the title compound.
In an alternative procedure, the bithiophene aldehyde (II) was reduced to alcohol (VII) with NaBH4, and this was protected with dihydropyran to give (VIII). Lithiation and subsequent treatment of (VIII) with tributyltin chloride afforded the stannyl compound (IX). This was then coupled with 2-bromo-4-thiophene-carboxaldehyde (X) in the presence of Pd(PPh3)4 and an additional amount of PPh3 to provide the terthiophene (XI). The reduction of the aldehyde group of (XI) with NaBH4, and then acid hydrolysis of the tetrahydropyranyl protecting group furnished diol (XII). Finally, the oxidation of (XII) by means of DDQ gave rise to a 1:3 mixture of the desired hydroxy aldehyde and its regioisomer (XIII).