“…According to the known procedure, a solution of 2b (0.2 mmol, 47.2 mg) and (ethoxycarbonylmethylene)-triphenylphosphorane (0.3 mmol, 1.5 equiv) in toluene (0.5 mL) was stirred in a sealed tube reactor at 110 °C in a metal bath for 18 h. The crude mixture, without aqueous workup, was directly purified by flash column chromatography (petroleum ether/EtOAc = 20:1→15:1) to give compound 7 as a yellow oil in 66% yield (40.5 mg). 1 H NMR (400 MHz, chloroform- d ): δ 8.04 (d, J = 8.1 Hz, 2H), 7.43 (d, J = 8.1 Hz, 2H), 6.85 (d, J = 15.9 Hz, 1H), 5.69 (d, J = 15.9 Hz, 1H), 5.37 (d, J = 46.7 Hz, 1H), 4.13 (q, J = 7.1 Hz, 2H), 3.92 (s, 3H), 1.24 (t, J = 7.1 Hz, 3H), 1.20–1.16 (m, 1H), 1.10–0.98 (m, 3H).…”