Ethyl Acetate → (E)-3-(4-Iodo-phenyl)-2-methyl-acrylic acid ethyl ester

Participants

Reaction Steps

A stirred, cooled (−78° C.) solution of triethyl-2-phosphonopropionate (10 g, 41.9 mmol) in anhydrous tetrahydrofuran (100 mL) was treated with a 1.6M solution of n-butyl lithium in hexanes (25 mL, 40 mmol). After 10 min, the reaction mixture was cannulated into a cooled (−78° C.) solution of 4-iodo-benzaldehyde (4.66 g, 20 mmol) in tetrahydrofuran (25 mL). After 30 minutes, it was quenched with saturated aqueous ammonium chloride solution and extracted with diethyl ether (×2). The combined organic phase was dried over anhydrous magnesium sulfate, filtered and evaporated in vacuo to afford an oil that was subjected to flash column chromatography over silica gel (230-400 mesh) using 9-10% ethyl acetate in hexane as the eluent to afford the title compound (6.3 g, 99%).

Provenance & Evidence