Benzaldehyde → Methyl 4-nitro-5-[(E)-2-phenylethenyl]thiophene-2-carboxylate

Participants

Reaction Steps

A solution (0.33 M) of methyl 5-methyl-4-nitrothiophene-2-carboxylate in MeOH, was treated with benzaldehyde (1.5 eq.). The reaction mixture was heated to reflux and when it became a clear solution a catalytic amount of pyrrolidine (0.01 eq.) was added. After 18 h at reflux additional pyrrolidine (0.01 eq.) was added. The reaction was heated to reflux for 40 h. After cooling down, evaporation of the solvent gave a residue that was purified by flash chromatography on silica gel (1:9 AcOEt/petroleum ether) to afford the title compound (67%) as a solid.

Provenance & Evidence