Acrylate and its 3-nitro derivatives in reactions with anthracene

Ethyl acrylate as well as 3-nitro- and 3-bromo-3-nitroacrylates were shown to react with anthracene to form diene synthesis adducts. In the case of bromonitroacrylate the reaction proceeds with more difficulty. Firstly, alkylation products form along with cycloaddition adducts; secondly, compounds, initially formed by two directions, undergo dehydrohalogenation to give the corresponding conjugated nitroalkenes.