Potassium Cyanide → 2-(Cyanomethyl)-5-(phenylmethoxy)-1-(phenylmethyl)-4(1H)-pyridinone

Participants

Reaction Steps

To a suspension of 2.0 g (6 mmol) of 2-(chloromethyl)-5-(phenylmethoxy)-1-(phenylmethyl)-4(1H)-pyridinone in 20 ml of acetonitrile was added 3.9 g (60 mmol) of potassium cyanide and 0.1 g of 18-crown-6; the mixture was heated to reflux for 2.5 hours. The salts were filtered off by suction, and the filtrate was evaporated in vacuo. The resulting residue was purified by column chromatography on silica gel using ethyl acetate/methanol (8:2) as eluent; yielding 0.55 g of the title compound, melting point 175°-180° C.

Provenance & Evidence