Polymer supported bromoderivatives of 2-pyrrolidone: an efficient reagent for the microwave assisted conversion of trans-cinnamic acid to trans-β-bromostyrene

Here a novel polymeric reagent was synthesised by anchoring bromoderivatives of pyrrolidone into the 3D matrix of divinylbenzene cross linked polystyrene and successfully employed for the decarboxylative bromination of trans-cinnamic acid to trans-β-bromostyrene under microwave exposure. 100% conversion and selectivity in a concise period of time under solvent-free condition and simple workup procedure are the foremost attraction of this method. The prepared polymeric reagent exhibited good cyclic stability without any significant reduction in bromine content and satisfactory storage stability under normal laboratory condition.