Acrylonitrile → HCID 68644380, compound

(3S,5R)-5-Hydroxymethylpyrrolidin-3-ol hydrochloride (0.4 g) described in Biochemistry, Vol. 5, pp. 1154-1155 (1966) was dissolved in aqueous potassium carbonate solution (2 mL) and acetonitrile (2 mL). Acrylonitrile (0.5 mL) was added and the mixture was stirred at room temperature for 5 hr. After the completion of the reaction, the reaction mixture was concentrated and the obtained residue was suspended in chloroform-methanol and dried by adding magnesium sulfate. Magnesium sulfate was filtered off and the solvent was concentrated to give 3-[(2R,4S)-4-hydroxy-2-hydroxymethylpyrrolidin-1-yl]propionitrile (0.47 g).