Crotonaldehyde Lewis acid catalysis

The reaction did not require dry solvents or inert atmosphere and afforded the desired adducts in 42-98% yield. As expected, the more reactive acrolein and methyl vinyl ketone gave very good results with both acyclic and cyclic p-ketoesters and p-diketones and, surprisingly, acrylonitrile and methyl acrylate, reported to be totally inactive under Lewis acid catalysis, " afforded the corresponding adducts with a-acetylbutyrolactone in high yield (77 and 98% respectively). In the reaction with crotonaldehyde, a 1 1 mixture of... 

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