TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preparation: Substituted 1,10-phenanthroline of formula (2) is oxidized to obtain 2,2'-bipyridyl compound of formula (1).at least one of Y1-Y3 and Y6-Y8=(un)substituted lower alkyl, (un)substituted lower alkenyl, (un)substituted substituted lower alkynyl, acyl, carboxy or lower alkyl oxycarbonyl, and other is H; andY4,Y5=hydroxyl, amino, mercapto, lower alkyloxy, lower alkylthio or H. Preferred Definitions:    R1, R3, R4 and R6=-COOX.    SPECIFIC COMPOUNDS - 4 examples for 2,2'-bipyridyl compound of formula (1) such as 3,3',6,6'-tetraethoxy carbonyl-2,2'-bipyridyl and 3,3',4-triethoxy carbonyl-2,2'-bipyridyl are disclosed.    EXAMPLE - 2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline (in g) (0.21) was suspended in water (50 ml). Potassium permanganate (2.55) was added to the obtained suspension, and the obtained dark purple mixture was heat-refluxed for 18 hours. The resulting product was washed with hot water after filter-separating magnesium dioxide. Potassium salt of 3,3'-6,6'-tetracarboxy-2,2'-bipyridyl obtained by carrying out pressure reduction removal of water from filtrate, was suspended in ethanol (50 ml) and sulfuric acid (2 ml), and heat-refluxed for 12 hours. Solvent was dissolved after pressure reduction removal from reaction mixture, and the residue was dissolved in water (50 ml), neutralized by sodium carbonate and extracted by dichloromethane. An organic layer was concentrated after drying on sodium sulfate. The concentrate was purified with eluting solvent containing dichloro methane and hexane in ratio of 50/50. 3,3',6,6'-tetraethoxy carbonyl-2,2'-bipyridyl (0.044) was obtained with a yield of 10 %. 3,3',6,6'-tetraethoxy carbonyl-2,2'-bipyridyl (0.2) was dissolved in potassium hydroxide aqueous solution containing potassium hydroxide (0.2) and water (10 ml). Ethanol (10 ml) was added and refluxed for 12 hours. The reaction mixture was concentrated under reduced pressure after carrying out neutralization with 2N hydrochloric acid (1.13 ml). Ethanol (15 ml) and IR-120B (cation exchange resin) (2.5) were added and refluxed for 4 hours. Thermal time filtration with reaction mixture was carried out, and the ion exchange resin was cleaned by ethanol (10 ml). The filtrate was dried by evaporation, and 3,3',6,6'-tetra carbonyl-2,2'-bipyridyl (0.13) was obtained with a yield of 80 %. The obtained target substance had favorable reduction potential.