Nitrogen → Ethyl 2-(2-cyanoethyl)-3-oxobutanoate

Participants

Reaction Steps

In a flame dried round-bottomed flask equipped with a magnetic stir bar and under inert atmosphere (N2), to sodium ethylate (prepared from 62 mg sodium in 8 mL of EtOH) was added ethyl acetoacetate (9.7 mL, 76.1 mmol). Acrylonitrile (5 mL, 76.1 mmol) was then added dropwise at 40-45° C. and the reaction mixture was stirred at this temperature overnight. Ethanol was removed and the residue washed with 65 mL of water containing 3.5 mL of acetic acid, diluted with CH2Cl2 and dried over Na2SO4, filtered and concentrated under reduced pressure. The crude residue was distilled (bp=95-105° C. at 1 atm) to give the title compound. TLC:rf (7:3 hept-EA)=0.29.

Provenance & Evidence