Synthesize 6-(4-tert-butylphenyl)cyclohex-3-enecarbonitrile using (Z)-3-phenylacrylonitrile as your starting material and any other reagents you wish.
Please help and an explanation would be greatly appreciated.
First note the relative stereochemistry of the CN and the phenyl group are not specified in the question.
Retrosynthetically the cylohexene can be put together with a Diels Alder reaction between butadiene and (Z)-(4-tert-butylphenyl)acrylonitrile. The latter will need to be made from the (Z)-3-phenylacrylonitrile. My first thought would be an electrophilic substitution with t-butyl chloride using a mild Lewis acid catalyst, such as tin chloride rather than aluminium chloride.
Hope this helps.