All octyl 2-cyano-3-phenyl-2-propenoates (OCPP) compounds were synthesized by Knoevenagel condensation of appropriate benzaldehydes with octyl cyanoacetate, catalyzed by base, piperidine (Scheme 1). The preparation procedure was essentially the same for all the monomers. In a typical synthesis, equimolar amounts of octyl 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 condensation reaction proceeded smoothly, yielding products, which were purified by conventional techniques. The compounds were characterized by IR, 1 H and 13 C NMR spectroscopies. No stereochemical analysis of the novel ring-monosubstituted OCPP was performed since no stereoisomers (E or/and Z) of known configuration were available.