All tert-butyl phenylcyanoacrylates (OPCA) compounds were synthesized by Knoevenagel condensation of appropriate benzaldehydes with tert-butyl cyanoacetate, catalyzed piperidine (Scheme 1). The preparation procedure was essentially the same for all the monomers. In a typical synthesis, equimolar amounts of tert-butyl cyanoacetate and an appropriate benzaldehyde were mixed in equimolar ratio in a 20 mL vial. A few drops of piperidine were added with stirring. The product of the reaction was isolated by filtration and purified by crystallization from 2-propanol. The compounds were characterized by IR, 1 H and 13 C NMR, and elemental analysis. No stereochemical analysis of the novel compounds was performed since no stereoisomers (E or/and Z) of known configuration were available.