Nice! I really like when people dare to try new techniques and post about them!
Starting materials:
50 mmol 4-Methyl-2,5-dimethoxybenzaldehyde
20 mmol cyclohexylamine (2x10 mmol)
120 mmol nitroethane (2x60 mmol)
Product:
34.6 mmol 4-Methyl-2,5-dimethoxyphenyl-2-nitropropene (70% yield)
Did you use https://www.thevespiary.org/rhodium/Rhodium/pdf/mw.nitroalkene.pdf (https://www.thevespiary.org/rhodium/Rhodium/pdf/mw.nitroalkene.pdf)
as a starting point?
The "white glistening crystals" you filtered off - was that unreacted benzaldehyde? 4-Methyl-2,5-dimethoxyphenyl-2-nitropropene is supposed to be orange!
Have you seen the document at https://www.thevespiary.org/rhodium/Rhodium/chemistry/stp.html (https://www.thevespiary.org/rhodium/Rhodium/chemistry/stp.html)
- with my hugely improved synthesis of the benzaldehyde, where the yield is more than tripled, and with less work, too.
How do you make 2C-H in the microwave? Do you still have your lab notes for that?