Hydrogen Cyanide → 6-Acetyl-4-chloro-3-(cyanomethyl)-3'-fluorobiphenyl-2-carbonitrile

Participants

Reaction Conditions

Reaction Steps

To a mixture of sodium cyanide (562 mg, 11.5 mmol) in water (3 mL) was carefully added mixture of sulfuric acid (2.9 mL, 5.5 mmol) at 0° C. (the reaction generates hydrogen cyanide and must be run in a fume hood with good ventilation), followed by a solution of 6-acetyl-3-(bromomethyl)-4-chloro-3′-fluorobiphenyl-2-carbonitrile (414 mg, 1.13 mmol) in acetonitrile (10 mL). The reaction was heated at 60° C. for 1 hour with pH adjusting to 9 by the addition of solid sodium cyanide. The reaction was cooled and extracted with ethyl acetate. The combined organic layers were washed with brine, dried over sodium sulfate and then concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure. The residue was purified on silica gel, eluting with 0 to 40% ethyl acetate in hexane (146 mg, 41%). LCMS calculated for C17H11ClFN2O (M+H)+: m/z=313.1; Found: 313.1.

Provenance & Evidence