Acrylonitrile → Methyl Undecenoate Acrylonitrile

Participants

Reaction Conditions

Reaction Steps

100 mg of methyl 10-undecenoate (0.5 mmol), 53 mg of acrylonitrile (1 mmol) and 10 ml of toluene distilled over sodium-benzophenone are placed in a 50 ml Schlenk tube. 1.5 mg (2.4×10−3 mmol) of second-generation Hoveyda-Grubbs catalyst ((1,3-bis(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)-2-imidazolidinylidene)dichloro(o-iso-propoxyphenylmethylene)ruthenium, available from Aldrich) are added. The mixture is heated to 100° C. and left to react for 1 hour under nitrogen and with magnetic stirring. The reaction mixture is analyzed by gas chromatography (dodecane standard). The conversion of the methyl 10-undecenoate is 94%. The selectivity toward methyl 11-cyano-10-undecenoate (cis+trans mixture) is 100%. The TON (turnover number) is 188.

Provenance & Evidence