gem-Bromonitro compounds or gem-dinitro compounds couple with carbanions derived from α-cyano sulfones or α-carbonyl sulfones to give β-nitro sulfones. The nitro and sulfonyl groups are eliminated from the coupling products on treatment with reductive one electron transfer reagents to give α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds or nitriles.
The nitro and estergroups are eliminatedfrom α-cyano-β-nitroesters(1)on treatment with one electron transfer reagents. Similarly, the nitro and acetyl groups are eliminatedfrom α-acetyl-β-nitroesters(2)or α-acetyl-β-nitroketones(3).
An efficient one-pot synthesis of α,β-unsaturated esters and ketones consisting of the coupling reaction of α-chloronitroalkanes with the anions of diethyl α-alkylmalonates or ethyl α-alkylacetoacetates followed by deethoxycarbonylation and concomitant elimination of the nitro group is described.