Cyanocyclohexane → 1-(1,3-Thiazol-2-yl)cyclohexanecarbonitrile

To a solution of cyclohexanecarbonitrile (0.913 g, 8.36 mmol) in toluene (25 ml) at 0° C. was added sodium bis(trimethylsilyl)amide (1M solution in THF, 10.0 ml, 10.0 mmol) and the resulting mixture was stirred for 1 hr at 0° C. 2-Chlorothiazole (1 g, 8.36 mmol) was then added dropwise as a solution in toluene (0.5 mL) over a period of 5 minutes and the resulting mixture was allowed to warm up from 0° C. to room temperature over 16 hrs. The reaction mixture was quenched with saturated aqueous NH4Cl (20 mL), and extracted with EtOAc (2×50 mL). The combined organic layers were washed with brine (60 mL, dried (Na2SO4), filtered and concentrated under reduced pressure. The residue was purified by column chromatography on silica (gradient elution 2% to 12% EtOAc in Hexanes) to afford 1-(1,3-thiazol-2-yl)cyclohexanecarbonitrile (686 mg, 3.57 mmol, 42.7% yield) as a pale yellow oil which solidified upon standing. MS ESI: [M+H]+ m/z 193.