Acrylonitrile → Dimethyl 2-(2-cyanoethyl)-2-(2-fluoro-4-nitrophenyl)malonate

Participants

Reaction Steps

To a solution of the nitro diester, Dimethyl 2-(2-fluoro-4-nitrophenyl)malonate (86) (0.4 g, 1.47 mmol) and acrylonitrile (0.11 mL, 1.62 mmol) in absolute methanol (5 mL) was added a catalytic amount of sodium methoxide at 21° C. under argon. The reaction mixture was stirred for 40 h at the same temperature and then diluted with dichloromethane (50 mL). The resulting mixture was washed with water, brine and dried. The residue obtained upon evaporation of the solvents was purified on a silica gel (hexane:ethyl acetate, 8:1) to give Dimethyl 2-(2-cyanoethyl)-2-(2-fluoro-4-nitrophenyl)malonate (73) (0.25 g, 52%): 1H NMR δ 8.07 (dd, 1H, J=8.7, 2.3 Hz), 7.99 (dd, 1H, J=10.9, 2.3 Hz), 7.47 (dd, 1H, J=8.7, 7.3 Hz), 3.85 (s, 6H), 2.65-2.70 (m, 2H), 2.47-2.51 (m, 2H).

Provenance & Evidence