An expeditious synthesis of 4-hydroxy-2(E)-nonenal (4-HNE), its dimethyl acetal and of related compounds

The facile one step synthesis of 4-hydroxy-2(E)-nonenal and its dimethyl acetal via a cross-metathesis reaction between commercially available octen-3-ol and acrolein or its dimethyl acetal is reported. The method was extended to the synthesis of C6 and C12 4-hydroxy-2(E)-enals, their dimethyl acetal and of the 4-hydroxy-2(E)-nonenoic acid (4-HNA).