AlBr₃-Promoted stereoselective anti-hydroarylation of the acetylene bond in 3-arylpropynenitriles by electron-rich arenes: synthesis of 3,3-diarylpropenenitriles

• Yelizaveta Gorbunova,
• Dmitry S. Ryabukhin and
• Aleksander V. Vasilyev

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2021, 17, 2663–2667, doi:10.3762/bjoc.17.180

• , benzene and its polymethylated derivatives) under the action of aluminum bromide (AlBr3, 6 equiv) at room temperature for 0.5–2 h result in the stereoselective formation of 3,3-diarylpropenenitriles (Ar(Ar′)C=CHCN) in yields of 20–64%, as products of mainly anti-hydroarylation of the acetylene bond. The

• obtained 3,3-diarylpropenenitriles in triflic acid CF3SO3H (TfOH) at room temperature for 1 h are cyclized into 3-arylindenones in yields of 55–70%. Keywords: aluminum bromide; hydroarylation; indenones; propenenitriles; propynenitriles; Introduction Conjugated acetylene nitriles (propynenitriles, R–C≡C

• [17]. Conclusion We have developed a novel transition-metal (Pd, Pt, Rh, etc.)-free procedure for the regio- and stereoselective hydroarylation of the carbon–carbon triple bond in 3-arylpropynenitriles by arenes under electrophilic activation by aluminum bromide AlBr3. The obtained 3,3