Methanol → 3-Cyano-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)propanoic acid

To a 25 mL RB flask fitted with magnetic stirrer was charged with methanol (6 mL) and water (1 mL). To the stirred solvent was added 2-(4-hydroxy-benzylidene)-malonic acid diethyl ester (1 g, 3.8 mmol), followed by potassium cyanide (0.492 g, 7.6 mmol). The RM was heated at 70° C. for 2 h. The RM was concentrated, diluted with saturated NaHCO3 solution (50 mL) and washed with ethyl acetate (50 mL×2). The aqueous layer was acidified to pH 3 with 1N hydrochloric acid and extracted with ethyl acetate (50 mL×2). The organic layer was washed with water (50 mL) and saturated brine solution (50 mL). The organic layer was dried over anhydrous Na2SO4 and the solvent was removed under reduced pressure. The product was obtained as brown liquid. (0.6 g, yield: 72.3%); MS (ESI, 120 eV): m/z=190.0 (M−H)+; 1H NMR (300 MHz, DMSO-d6): δ 12.69 (s, 1H), 9.58 (s, 1H), 7.22-7.24 (d, 2H), 6.75-6.78 (d, 2H), 4.28-4.40 (m, 1H), 2.77-3.12 (m, 2H).