3-Phenylprop-2-Enal → 2-Propenoic acid, 3-phenyl-, methyl ester

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Reaction Steps

A homogeneous mixture containing cinnamaldehyde (7.5 mmol), DDQ (11.3 mmol), MeOH (15 mL) is taken in a round bottom flask and catalytic amount of AMBERLYST® 15 (0.1 g) is added to it. The mixture is stirred for 20 hrs at room temperature. After completion of the reaction (observed by TLC and GC analysis), the reaction mixture is filtered and washed with MeOH (5 ml×2). Concentrate the filtrate under reduced pressure and the crude product thus obtained is loaded on a neutral alumina column and eluted with diethyl ether. Methyl cinnamate (from formula I where X1═H, X2═H, X3═H, X4═H, X5═H, R═CH3) is isolated in 98% yield. 1H-NMR (CDCl3, 300 MHz) δ7.56 (1H, d, J=16.55 Hz), 7.34 (2H, m), 7.21 (3H, m), 6.31 (1H, d, J=16.55 Hz), 3.64 (3H, s); 13C-NMR (CDCl3, 75.4 MHz) δ167.2, 144.7, 134.3, 130.2, 128.8, 128.0, 117.8, 51.5.

Provenance & Evidence