NOVEL TITANIUM(IV) CHLORIDE CATALYZED OLEFINATION OF ALDEHYDES: A SIMPLE AND CONVENIENT SYNTHESIS OF TRANS-CINNAMIC ACIDS

ABSTRACT

A variety of aromatic aldehydes were stereoselectively transformed into (E)-cinnamic acids via the reaction with ethyl bromoacetate and triphenylphosphine in the presence of catalytic amount of titanium tetrachloride, followed by hydrolysis and crystallization.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We thank DST (New Delhi) for funding this project. AJR thanks CSIR (New Delhi) for his research fellowship. We also thank UGC (New Delhi) for Special Assistance Program in Organic Synthesis in the School of Chemistry, University of Hyderabad.