Reaction Steps
3-(Fluoro)benzylalcohol (5.00 g, 39.6 mmol) in THF (50 mL) was added dropwise at 0° C. to a THF (100 mL) suspension of NaH (60%, 6.3 g, 158.4 mmol). The mixture was stirred at 0° C. (30 min). Then, a THF solution of 4-cyanobenzylbromide (9.30 g, 47.6 mmol) was added dropwise at 0° C. and the mixture was stirred at room temperature (16 h). A saturated aqueous solution of NH4Cl (40 mL) was added dropwise at 0° C. and the layers were separated. The aqueous layer was washed with CH2Cl2 (60 mL). The organics layers were combined, dried (Na2SO4) and concentrated under vacuum. The residue was purified by flash column chromatography on silica gel with EtOAc/hexanes (0/10 to 1/9) as the eluant to obtain 4-((3-fluorobenzyloxy)methyl)benzonitrile as a colorless oil (7.80 g, 81%): Rf=0.65 (hexanes/EtOAc 8/2); IR (nujol) 2863, 2229, 1719, 1595, 1451, 1450, 1360, 1258, 1100, 1018, 945, 862, 790, 687, 554 cm−1; 1H NMR (CDCl3) δ 4.59 (s, CH2O), 4.61 (s, CH2O), 6.97-7.14 (m, 3 ArH), 7.26-7.37 (m, 1 ArH), 7.47 (d, J=7.5 Hz, 2 ArH), 7.65 (d, J=7.5 Hz, 2 ArH); 13C NMR (CDCl3) δ 71.2 (CH2O), 71.9 (CH2O), 113.4 (CCN), 114.4 (d, J=21.6 Hz, C2′ or C4′), 114.7 (d, J=21.6 Hz, C4′ or C2′), 118.8 (CN), 122.9 (d, J=2.3 Hz, C6′), 127.7 (ArC), 130.0 (d, J=9.2 Hz, C5′), 132.2 (ArC), 140.2 (d, J=8.0 Hz, C1′), 143.5 (ArC), 162.9 (d, J=244.8 Hz, C3′); HRMS (M+Cs+)(ESI+) 373.9957 [M+Cs+] (calcd for C15H12FNOCs+373.9954); Anal. Calcd. for C15H12FNO2: C, 74.67; H, 5.01; F, 7.87; N, 5.81. Found: C, 74.53; H, 4.93; F, 7.75; N, 5.81.
