Sodium Cyanide → (4-Phenoxynaphthalen-1-yl)acetonitrile

Participants

Reaction Conditions

Reaction Steps

Sodium cyanide (3.7 g; 75 mMol) was dissolved in DMSO (50 mL, dried over molecular sieves). The mixture was heated in an oil bath maintained at 50° C., and 15.7 g (50 mMol) of 1-bromomethyl-4-phenoxynaphthalene, prepared as described above, in 75 mL of DMSO was added dropwise. After addition was complete, stirring was continued for 0.5 hours. The temperature was raised to 70° C., and stirring was continued for 1.0 hour. The oil bath was turned off, and the stirring was continued overnight. The mixture was poured onto ice, and extracted with ether. The combined organic extractions were washed with brine and dried over magnesium sulfate. The product was obtained as a white, crystalline solid (6.24 g; 49% yield). mass 259. A sample was purified for analysis by medium pressure chromatography on silica gel, eluting with ethyl acetate:hexane/1:9.

Provenance & Evidence