A mixture of 2-(2,4-dichloro-benzylidene)-malononitrile (1.125 g, 5 mmol), alpha-tetralone (735 mg, 5 mmol), ammonium acetate (578 mg, 7.5 mmol), and toluene (5 ml) was stirred for 3 h at reflux. Upon cooling to room temperature, the mixture was taken up in ethyl acetate and extracted with satd. NaHCO3, water, and satd. NaCl, and dried over Na2SO4. The solvent was then evaporated and the title compound (868 mg, 47%), MS: m/e=365.9 (M+H+), was isolated from the residue by column chromatography (silica gel, hexanes, ethyl acetate).
