10.1055/s-1991-26407
The research aimed to develop a convenient synthesis method for substituted 2-cyano-1,3-butadienes, which are valuable reagents in organic synthesis, particularly for [4+2] cyclo additions. The study focused on the Horner-Emmons olefination of 2-cyano-2-alkenyl- or 2-cyano-3-phenyl-2-propenylphosphonates 1 with selected carbonyl compounds to yield various alkyl or phenyl substituted 2-cyano-1,3-butadienes 2 with high stereoselectivity and satisfactory yield. The process involved the use of lithium diisopropylamide (LDA) in tetrahydrofuran (THF) as a reagent, followed by the reaction with the resultant lithium derivatives and carbonyl compounds. The newly formed double bond consistently had the E configuration, while the formation of the other double bond was not stereoselective, resulting in mixtures of E,E and Z,E isomers. The chemicals used in the process included 2-cyano-2-alkenylphosphonates 1, BuLi (1.6 M solution in hexanes), disopropylamine, and silica gel (70-230 mesh), among others. The conclusion of the research was that an efficient, simple, and general method for the preparation of substituted 2-cyano-1,3-butadienes 2 from readily accessible 2-cyano-2-alkenylphosphonates 1 had been successfully developed.