GENERAL METHOD: Ethoxycarbonylmethylenetriphenylphosphine (1.55 g, 4.46 mmol) was added to a stirred solution of 4-benzyloxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde (0.73 g, 3.72 mmol) in benzene (10 mL). The reaction mixture was then refluxed for 4 hours. Upon completion of the reaction, the solvent was removed under reduced pressure and the residue was purified by silica gel column chromatography (eluent: ethyl acetate/petroleum ether, 1:19) to afford the target product ethyl (E)-3-(4-(benzyloxy)-3-methoxyphenyl)acrylate (0.89 g, 90% yield) as a white solid.
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