Reaction Steps
(3,4-Dimethoxy-phenyl)-(3,4,5-trimethoxy-phenyl)-methanone (3.3 g, 10 mmol), cyanomethylphosphonic acid diethyl ester (2.4 ml, 15 mmol) in anhydrous THF (50 ml), and potassium bis(trimethylsilyl)amide (3.0 g, 15 mmol) were treated in the same manner as described above for the synthesis of 3-(3,5-dimethoxy-phenyl)-3-(3-methoxy-phenyl)-acrylonitrile. The crude was purified by flash column chromatography to give 3-(3,4-dimethoxy-phenyl)-3-(3,4,5-trimethoxy-phenyl)-acrylonitrile as a solid (2.7 g, 77%): mp, 119-121° C.; 1H NMR (DMSO-d6) 7.14-7.07 (m, 1H), 7.00-6.77 (m, 2H), 6.66 (d, J=3 Hz, 2H), 6.25 (s, 0.5H), 6.19 (s, 0.5H), 3.84-3.71 (m, 15H); 13C NMR (DMSO-d6) □ 161.38, 161.31, 152.65, 150.99, 150.14, 148.64, 148.18, 139.44, 138.44, 133.69, 132.47, 130.01, 128.88, 122.66, 122.43, 118.66, 118.62, 112.75, 111.31, 111.22, 110.94, 106.88, 106.27, 94.23, 93.53, 60.08, 56.02, 55.98, 55.60, 55.55, 55.48; Anal. Calcd. For C20H21NO5: C, 67.59; H, 5.96; N, 3.94. Found: C, 67.66; H, 5.98; N, 3.88.
