Toluene → ethyl 2-cyano-3-(2-methylphenyl)acrylate

Participants

Reaction Steps

O-Tolylaldehyde (10 g, 83.2 mmol), ethylcyanoacetate (9.4 g, 83.2 mmol), and piperidine (1.1 mL, 11 mmol) were heated in toluene at reflux for 1 hour. The reaction was washed with H2O and brine, dried over MgSO4, and concentrated, with the resulting residue purified by chromatography (10-50% EtOAc, petroleum ether) to give ethyl 2-cyano-3-o-tolylacrylate (10.6 g, 59%).

Provenance & Evidence