Acetone Cyanohydrin → HCID 11309731, Verbindung

Lithium bis(trimethylsilyl)amide (42.7 mL) was added to 4-chlorobenzaldehyde (5 g) in THF (100 mL) at −40° C. under nitrogen. The resulting solution was warmed to room temperature and stirred for 4 hours. α-Hydroxyisobutyronitrile (acetone cyanohydrin, 6.50 mL) was then added, and the reaction mixture was stirred at 25° C. for a further 12 hours, then quenched with saturated NaHCO3 (50 mL), extracted with EtOAc (3×100 mL), the organic layer was dried over MgSO4, filtered and evaporated. The crude material was then purified by flash silica chromatography, elution gradient 0 to 100% EtOAc in isohexane. Pure fractions were evaporated to dryness to afford 2-amino-2-(4-chlorophenyl)acetonitrile as a colourless oil, which solidified on standing to give a white solid (3.40 g, 57.4%).