Synthesis of 3-methyl-5-(hetaryl)-2,4-pentadienoic acids from aldehydes

Reaction of 4-(2-, 3-, 4-pyridyl, or 2-quinolyl)but-3-en-2-ones with carbethoxymethylenetriphenylphosphorane and subsequent hydrolysis gives 3-methyl-5-(2-, 3-, 4-pyridyl, or 2-quinolyl)-2,4-pentadienoic acids and also 3-methyl-4-(2-, 4-pyridyl-, or 2-quinolylmethyl)but-2-en-4-olides as products of cyclization of the corresponding pentadienoic acids.Translated from Khimiya Geterotsiklicheskikh Soedinenii, No. 5, pp. 653–656, May, 1991.