Potassium Cyanide → 2-Naphthylacetonitrile

Participants

Reaction Steps

2-Bromomethylnaphthalene (5.00 g, 23 mmol) was dissolved in N,N'-dimethylformamide (50 ml) and potassium cyanide (2.95 g, 45 mmol) was added and the resulting mixture was stirred at room temperature for 16 hours. The supernatant was decanted and partitioned between water (100 ml) and diethyl ether (2×75 ml). The combined organic phases were washed with water (100 ml), dried (MgSO4), filtered and evaporated in vacuo affording 2.53 g (67%) of 2-naphtylacetonitrile as a solid.

Provenance & Evidence