2,6-bis(trimethylsilylethynyl)dithieno[3,2-b : 2 ',3 '-d]thiophene

The title compound, C18H20S3Si2, is a precursor in the formation of platinum and gold di-yne complexes and poly-yne polymers. These materials are of interest because of the pi-conjugation that extends through the fused oligothienyl linker unit along the rigid backbone of the polymer. In the structure of the title compound, the oligothienyl group is planar and the trimethylsilylalkyne groups are essentially linear.