Sodium Cyanide → 2-(2-Methoxy-6-nitrophenyl)acetonitrile

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Reaction Steps

Sodium cyanide (165 mg, 3.36 mmol) was added to a solution of 2-bromomethyl-1-methoxy-3-nitro-benzene (680 mg, 2.56 mmol) in ethanol (5 mL) and the mixture was heated at reflux overnight. The solvent was removed in vacuo, water (30 mL) was added and the mixture was extracted with dichloromethane (25 mL). The organic phase was washed with water (2×20 mL), brine (20 mL), dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate and concentrated under vacuum. The crude compound was purified by column chromatography over silica gel (100-200 mesh) using 8% ethyl acetate in petroleum ether to afford (2-methoxy-6-nitro-phenyl)-acetonitrile (300 mg, 61%).

Provenance & Evidence