A mixture of methyl acrylate (15.9 mL, 176 mmol) and bis (triphenylphosphine) palladium (II) chloride (0.99 g, 1.4 mmol) in 125 mL dimethylformamide and 125 mL triethylamine was heated to reflux for 1 hour and then 2,4,6 -triisopropylbromobenzene (10.0 g, 35 mmol) was added. Reflux was continued for 6 hours and then stirred at room temperature for 16 hours. Partitioned the reaction between water and diethyl ether. The ether layer was dried with MgSO4, filtered, and concentrated to give a brown oil. Chromatography (SiO2, eluant=5% ethyl acetate in hexanes) gave 3.80 g of 3-[2,4,6-tris(1-methylethyl)phenyl]-2-propenyl carboxylic acid, methyl ester as an off-white solid, mp 61°-63° C.
