Acetic Acid → 2-(4-Chlorobenzoyl)-3-methylhex-2-enenitrile

Participants

Reaction Steps

A mixture of pentan-2-one (20 mmol), 3-(4-chlorophenyl)-3-oxopropanenitrile (3.6 g, 20 mmol), β-alanine (180 mg, 2 mmol), acetic acid (2.6 mL) and toluene (60 mL) is heated to reflux in a Dean-Stark system for 18 h. The solution is cooled to RT, then diluted with EtOAc (50 mL), washed with 5% NaHCO3 (3×20 mL), water (20 mL), brine (20 mL), dried (Na2SO4) and finally concentrated in vacuo. A mixture of the two isomers is obtained as a colorless oil by chromatographic purification of the crude residue on silica gel using EtOAc:petroleum ether (0.5:9.5) as eluent.

Provenance & Evidence