4-Pyridinecarboxaldehyde → 3-Pyridin-4-YL-acrylic acid methyl ester

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Reaction Steps

Methyl (triphenylphosphoranylidene)acetate (3.4 grams) and 4-pyridine-carboxaldehyde (10.00 grams) were refluxed in tetrahydrofuran under nitrogen overnight. The reaction was evaporated in vacuo, and the residue was suspended in hexane (400 mL), heated to boiling on a steam bath for 5 minutes, and filtered through a filter aide. The filter cake was rinsed with hot hexane (2×200 mL), and the rinses and filtrate were combined and evaporated in vacuo. The crude product was purified by flash chromatography through silica gel 60 (1500 mL) using 3:7 ethyl acetate:methylene chloride. The resulting waxy solid was suspended in a minimum amount of cyclohexane to yield the product as a white crystalline solid. Yield: 7.06 grams (46%).

Provenance & Evidence