Acetic Acid → 2-Cyano-4,4,8-trimethyl-non-2-enoic acid benzyl ester

Participants

Reaction Steps

To a mixture of 2,2,6-Trimethyl-heptanal (1.05 g, 6.73 mmol), piperidine (0.19 mL, 2.01 mmol) and benzyl cyanoacetate (1.29 g, 7.4 mmol) in toluene (50 mL) was added glacial acetic acid (0.72 g, 12.1 mmol). The flask was fitted with a Dean-Stark trap, and the mixture was heated at reflux for 18. The mixture was cooled, treated with dilute HCl, and the layers were separated. The organics were washed with a saturated sodium bicarbonate solution followed by brine, and dried (MgSO4), filtered and concentrated. The residual oil was purified by silica gel chromatography (98/2 hexane/EtOAc) to give 1.3 g of 2-Cyano-4,4,8-trimethyl-non-2-enoic acid benzyl ester m/z 314 (M+).

Provenance & Evidence