A microwave-assisted, one-pot synthesis of a naturally occurring insecticide on basic Montmorillonite K10 is described. The reaction is suitable for incorporation into the undergraduate organic chemistry laboratory course and represents a practical example of green chemistry. The described synthesis employs naturally benign, base-washed Montmorillonite K10 clay as a heterogeneous catalyst, is carried out under solvent-free conditions in a commercial-grade microwave oven, and features several interesting mechanistic considerations, including an electrophilic aromatic addition, dehydration, and intramolecular hetero-Diels–Alder cyclization.
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Instructions for the students, notes for the instructor, and spectral data are available.
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