3,7-Dimethyloctanal → Ethyl 3,7,11-trimethyldodeca-2,4-dienoate

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Reaction Steps

Sodium ethoxide (9 g. sodium in 600 ml. of ethanol) is added slowly to a mixture of 42 g. of dihydrocitronellal and 75 g. of diethyl 3-ethoxycarbonyl-2-methylprop-2-enyl phosphonate (about 49% trans) in one liter of dimethylformamide, under nitrogen and at 0°, with stirring. The mixture is allowed to stand overnight at about 5° and the reaction worked up by extraction with ether, washing with water and brine and filtering through Florisil to yield ethyl 3,7,11-trimethyldodeca-2,4-dienoate as a cis/trans mixture, mostly trans,trans.

Provenance & Evidence