Water → Ethyl 2-methyl-3-(4-methylphenyl)-2-propenoate

Participants

Reaction Steps

To a suspension of sodium hydride (a 60% dispersion in liquid paraffin, 15.0 g, 375 mmol) in N,N-dimethylformamide (160 ml) was added at 0° C. a solution of triethyl 2-phosphonopropionate (87.7 g, 368 mmol) in N,N-dimethylformamide (10 ml) and the resulting mixture was stirred at the same temperature for 1 hour. To the reaction solution was added 4-methylbenzaldehyde (43.3 g, 361 mmol) and the resulting mixture was stirred at room temperature for 1 hour. Water was added into the reaction solution and the product was extracted twice with ethyl acetate. The combined extracts were washed with water, dried on magnesium sulfate, and then concentrated under reduced pressure to obtain 66.7 g (91% yield) of the oily title compound.

Provenance & Evidence