Both isomers 5 and 8 of 3,3-diarylacrylonitrile constitution are obtained in highly diastereoselective Pd-catalyzed Heck reactions under Jeffery conditions between (E)-cinnamonitriles and aryl iodides.
The coupling reaction of 3-aryl (or heteroaryl) acrylonitriles with several aryl and heteroaryl iodides (Heck reaction) under Jeffery’s conditions has been studied as a concept to synthesize, in a stereospecific manner, trisubstituted olefins.