10.1080/10426500307778
The research investigates the reactions of triphenylphosphine alkylenes with 3(2-thienyl)acrylonitriles, aiming to explore the formation of various products under different reaction conditions and the influence of the substituents on the reaction outcomes. Key chemicals involved include ethyl 3-(2-thienyl)acrylocyanoacetate (1b), various ylides such as (methoxycarbonylmethylene)triphenylphosphorane (2a), (ethoxycarbonylmethylene)triphenylphosphorane (2b), (benzoylmethylene)triphenylphosphorane (2c), and (cyanomethylene)triphenylphosphorane (14). The study found that the initial Michael addition of ylides to the exocyclic methide carbon in 1b leads to diverse products depending on the nature of the ylide and reaction conditions. For instance, reactions with 2a and 2b in the presence of triethylamine yielded cyclopropane derivatives and new ylides, while the reaction with 2c in ethyl acetate containing benzoic acid produced a pyran derivative. The reaction of (cyanomethylene)triphenylphosphorane (14) with 1b resulted in a cyclopropane derivative, whereas with malonitrile 1a, it produced a ylide and a propene derivative. The research concludes that the substituents on the ylides and the reaction conditions significantly affect the reaction pathways and products, highlighting the versatility of these reactions in synthesizing complex organic compounds with potential biological activities.