“…3-(4 ‘ -Dimethylaminophenyl)-( E )-propenoic acid methyl ester (17). 17 was obtained from a Wittig reaction between 4-dimethylaminobenzaldehyde (1.0 mmol, 149 mg) and (methoxycarbonylmethylene)triphenylphosphorane (1.5 mmol, 502 mg) in water (5.0 mL) at 90 °C for 2 h. The crude product was purified using flash chromatography (10% EtOAc/hexane, R f 0.40) to give 81% (166 mg) of 17 as a yellow solid; mp 132−135 °C ( E/Z -ratio: 90/10) {lit . mp 134−135 °C}: 1 H NMR (500 MHz, CDCl 3 ) δ 7.63 (d, C H β CH α , J = 15.9 Hz, 1H), 7.41 (m, aromatic, 2H), 6.66 (m, aromatic, 2H), 6.22 (d, CH β C H α , J = 15.9 Hz, 1H), 3.77 (s, OC H 3 , 3H), 3.01 (s, (CH 3 ) 2 N, 6H); 13 C NMR (125 MHz, CDCl 3 ) δ 168.3, 151.8, 145.4, 129.8, 122.3, 112.2, 111.9, 51.4, 40.1; FTIR (CH 2 Cl 2 , cm -1 ) 1701, 1600, 1265, 735.…”