Sodium Cyanide → Methyl 3-cyano-4-hydroxybenzoate

Participants

Reaction Conditions

Reaction Steps

Methyl-4-hydroxy-3-iodobenzoate (2.00 g, 7.2 mmol) was dissolved into 5 mL of dry DMF. Copper(I) cyanide (0.72 g, 8.0 mmol) and a small crystal of sodium cyanide was added. The mixture was flushed with nitrogen, placed in an oil heating bath (100-110° C.), and stirred overnight. TLC indicated nearly complete reaction. The mixture was cooled and the solids removed by filtration. The solids were extracted with DMF (3 mL). The filtrate and washings were taken up in 100 mL of ethyl acetate, then washed with 3 portions of saturated sodium chloride solution. The solids and aqueous washings were combined, and shaken with a mixture of 50 mL of ethyl acetate and a ferric chloride solution (4 g of hydrated ferric chloride in 7 mL of conc. hydrochloric acid). The ethyl acetate layers were combined, washed with brine containing sodium metabisulfite, dried over sodium sulfate, filtered, and the solvent removed in vacuo. The resulting solids were purified by flash chromatography on silica gel (20% ethyl acetate/hexane) to afford methyl-3-cyano-4-hydroxybenzoate, 0.93g (73%).

Provenance & Evidence