We report a Ti(OiPr)(4)/pyridine mediated Knoevenagel reaction between aromatic ketones and cyanoacetamides to provide Knoevenagel olefin products in good to excellent yields. Almost in all cases studied, a single geometrical isomer was formed and isolated under the Ti(OiPr)(4)/pyridine condensation conditions. This methodology was also demonstrated to be highly effective between some other Knoevenagel active methylene compounds and aromatic ketones. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
A facile and efficient route for the homogeneous and highly stereoselective monohydration of substituted methylenemalononitriles to (E)-2-cyanoacrylamides catalyzed by copper(II) acetate monohydrate in acetic acid containing 2% water is described, and a mechanism is proposed. The protocol has proved to be suitable for the monohydration of dicyanobenzenes and 2-substituted malononitriles.
We report a Ti(OiPr)(4)/pyridine mediated Knoevenagel reaction between aromatic ketones and cyanoacetamides to provide Knoevenagel olefin products in good to excellent yields. Almost in all cases studied, a single geometrical isomer was formed and isolated under the Ti(OiPr)(4)/pyridine condensation conditions. This methodology was also demonstrated to be highly effective between some other Knoevenagel active methylene compounds and aromatic ketones. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.