Water → 4-Amino-2,3-difluoro-5-nitrobenzonitrile

To a stirred suspension of 4-amino-2,3-difluoro-5-nitrobenzamide (90 g, 0.416 mol) in acetonitrile (630 mL) was added POCl3 (96 mL, 1.04 mol) in one portion. The mixture was then heated to 70° C. and as the reaction proceeded the suspension become a brown solution. After 1.5 hours, HPLC analysis showed no remaining starting material. The reaction mixture was cooled to 30° C., then added to water (4.5 L) over 30 minutes while the temperature was held at 17-25° C. The resultant bright yellow slurry was stirred for 1 hour, filtered under vacuum, and the remaining solid was then dried in a vacuum oven at 50° C. to provide 4-amino-2,3-difluoro-5-nitrobenzonitrile as a yellow solid, (74.4 g, 90% yield). HPLC 95a %. 1H NMR (400 MHz, DMSO-d6) δ 8.30 (2H, br s, NH2), 8.53 (1H, apparent dd, J 1.8, 6.4, Ar—H). 19F NMR (376 MHz, DMSO-d6) δ −128, −152. 13C (100 MHz, DMSO-d6) δ 87.1 (C, d, J 15), 113.6 (C, d, J 4), 128.6 (CH, s), 128.8 (C, d, J 5), 139.3 (CF, dd, J 245, 14), 141.5 (C, dd, J 13, 5), 152.8 (CF, dd, J 259, 12). IR νmax/cm−1 3446, 3322, 2235, 1647, 1551, 1287, 1275. MS APCI (−) 198 (M−1) detected, APCI (+) 200 (M+1) detected.