Ethylbenzene → 2-Phenylpropionitrile

Participants

Reaction Steps

100 g of ethylbenzene and 3.0 g of 5% palladium/activated carbon were added to a 1000 cc stainless steel autoclave. The gas phase was sufficiently replaced with hydrogen gas, then hydrogen gas was used to apply a pressure of 0.3 MPa and make the temperature 100° C. and catalytic pretreatment was carried out for 1 hour. The gas phase was again sufficiently replaced with nitrogen, then 3.0 g of the reaction material, that is, 2,3,5,6-tetrafluoroterephthalonitrile was added. The nitrogen atmosphere was maintained, the autoclave sealed as it was at atmospheric pressure, and the temperature held at 175° C. After 3 hours, the reaction solution was analyzed by gas chromatography, whereupon the conversion of 2,3,5,6-tetrafluoroterephthalonitrile was found to be 100% and the yield of 2,3,5,6-tetrafluorobenzonitrile (based on 2,3,5,6-tetrafluoroterephthalonitrile) was 95%. At the same time, 13.4 mmol of α-methylbenzylcyanide was produced. This corresponded to 0.95 times molar amount relative to the production of 2,3,5,6-tetrafluorobenzonitrile.

Provenance & Evidence