The condensation of 2, 5-dimethoxybenzaldehyde (lb) with nitroethane and ammonium acetate in glacial acetic acid has been found to give three different products, depending on reactant ratio and reaction time. At an aldehyde: nitroethane: ammonium acetate ratio of 1: 1.5: 0.8 a normal Knoevenagel condensation occurred, yielding 1-(2, 5dimethoxyphenyI)-2- nitropropene. At a reactant ratio of 1: 32 (same reactant sequence), the primary product ...