P-C1.C6H4b. H p-Br-C6H4c. H o-F-C6H4d. H a-naphthyl e. o,p-dichloro p-Cl.C6H4f. o,p-dichloro a-naphthyl g. P-Br a-naphthyl h. p-CH3 p-Br.C8H4i. p-CHs o-F.C8H4j. p-CH3a-naphthyl Although a priori two diastereomers are possible, the condensation under these conditions proceeded with the formation of only one single isomer. The structure of the reaction products was deduced from their spectral data as well as their elemental analysis. The infrared spectral data showed an absorption band at 2240 cm"1 which corresponds to the cyano group, and the band at 1730 cm"1 was characteristic of the ester carbonyl stretching frequency (5). The proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectral data (Table I) gave evidence for the structure of the ethyl /3,7-diaryl-7-cyanobutyrates. The carbethoxy group appeared as triplet and quartet 1.15 and 4.08 integrating for three and two protons, respectively. A doublet at 4.36 integrating for one proton was attributed to the 7-methlne proton. The /3-methine proton appeared as multiplet at 3.45. This high degree of spin-spin splitting Is expected due to the presence of the two diastereomerlc protons at the acarbon (6). Another doublet at 2.82 integrating for two protons corresponding to the -methylene protons was observed. The aromatic protons appeared as multiplet at 7.20. The mass spectroscopy of these compounds showed exact molecular ion peaks M+ and the elemental analysis of these compounds was in good agreement with the theoretical values.