Electronic regioselectivity in the reactions of pyridinium ylides with tetracyanoethylene

Highly regioselective reactions of pyridinium ylides with tetracyanoethylene occur via an Ad_N-E mechanism to form Z-isomers of 3-aroyl-3-(1-pyridinio)-1,1,2-tricyano-2-propenides-1, corresponding in structure to 1,4-ylides with maximum charge separation. If the unsaturated nitrite starting material contains a nucleofugal group 1,2-elimination predominates over 1,3-elimination.Translated from Khimiya Geterotsiklicheskikh Soedinenii, No. 8, pp. 1087–1094, August, 1991.