Acetonitrile → Benzoic acid 1-cyano-3-(4-methoxyphenyl)-allyl ester

Participants

Reaction Conditions

Reaction Steps

Acetonitrile (25 ml) is added to a solution of potassium carbonate (3.45 g; 0.025 mol) in 15 ml of water and the mixture is cooled to 0° C. 4-Methoxycinnamaldehyde (8.1 g; 0.05 mol) dissolved in acetonitrile (25 ml) is added dropwise under efficient stirring over 30 min, keeping the temperature between 0 and 2° C., and the yellow mixture is further stirred 2 h at the same temperature. The phases are separated, the organic layer is washed with brine, dried over magnesium sulfate, and evaporated. The crude benzoic acid 1-cyano-3-(4-methoxyphenyl)-allyl ester (15 g), obtained as a pale yellow oil, is used for the next step without further purification.

Provenance & Evidence