Potassium Cyanide → 3-Pyridineacetonitrile, 6-(trifluoromethyl)-

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Reaction Conditions

Reaction Steps

5-Chloromethyl-2-trifluoromethylpyridine (19.5 g, 99.7 mmol) in ethanol (160 mL) was added to a solution of potassium cyanide (9.74 g, 150 mmol) in water (80 mL) at 90° C. over 30 minutes. The mixture was stirred at 90° C. for 3 hours. Most of the ethanol was removed under reduced pressure and the aqueous layer was extracted with AcOEt (3×100 mL). The combined organic extracts were washed with water, brine, dried over sodium sulfate, filtered and concentrated under reduced pressure. The residue was purified by silica gel chromatography (30% AcOEt in hexanes) to afford (6-trifluoromethylpyridin-3-yl)-acetonitrile as a brown oil (9.79 g, 75%). 1H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl3) δ ppm 8.63 (s, 1 H), 7.90 (d, J=8.0 Hz, 1 H), 7.70 (d, J=8.0 Hz 1 H), 3.88 (s, 2 H). 19F NMR (400 MHz, CDCl3):168 cm−1. MS m/z 187.14

Provenance & Evidence