The synthesis of liquid crystal methyl [4-(nonyloxy) styryl] benzoate was achieved in four stages. First, toluic acid [1] was brominated with N-bromosuccinimide in refluxing CCl4 to form 4-bromotoluic acid [2] (BTA); second, BTA was esterified with methanol in SOCl2/CH2Cl2 to afford methyl (4-bromomethyl) benzoate [3] (BME); third, BME was condensed with triphenylphosphine (PPh3) in CH2Cl2 to produce the active Wittig reagent methyl (4-methylbenzoate) triphenylphosphonium bromide [4] (MBPB) and fourth, MBPB reacted with 4-nonyloxybenzaldehyde to produce MNSB in high yield. Each of these four reactions was carried out in a separate homogeneous organic solution and the effects of the reaction conditions in each reaction as well as a kinetic model for each individual reaction were studied. Furthermore, the active reagent was applied to the reaction of 4-nonyloxybenzaldehyde (n-C9H19O(C6H4)CHO) to synthesise cis-(E) and trans-(Z)methyl [4-(nonyloxy)styryl]benzoate (n-C9H19(C6H4)CH=CH(C6H4)COOCH3) from a two-phase medium alkaline solution of NaOH/organic solvent. High conversion and high selectivity were obtained via this reaction. (C) 2007 Taiwan Institute of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.