A facile and convenient synthesis of bis(2-(1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2(3H)-ylidene)-3-oxopropanenitrile), bis((3-amino-5-(methylthio)-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)methanone) and bis(2-thioxo-1,2-dihydropyrimidine-5-carbonitrile) derivatives incorporating a thieno- [2,3-b]thiophene moiety via versatile, readily accessible diethyl 3,4-dimethylthieno-[2,3-b]thiophene-2,5-dicarboxylate is described.