Abstract Reaction of aldehydes with an excess of nitromethane in the presence of basic alumina as solid catalyst allows the one pot preparation of 1, 3-dinitroalkanes. The synthesis proceeds through the nitroaldol reaction of nitromethane, which acts both as nucleophile and as solvent, to the aldehydes with the formation of β-nitroalkanols as intermediates that convert to nitroalkenes. Further nucleophilic behavior of the nitromethane produces the in ...
