N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone → 4-(Methoxymethyl)-6-(trifluoromethyl)pyridine-2-carbonitrile

Participants

Reaction Conditions

Reaction Steps

A solution of 2-chloro-4-(methoxymethyl)-6-(trifluoromethyl)pyridine (0.5 g, 2 mmol, from Step B) and zinc cyanide (1.56 g, 13.3 mmol) in N-methylpyrrolidinone (8 mL) was degassed by bubbling a stream of nitrogen through the solution for 10 minutes. Tetrakis(triphenylphosphine)palladium(0) (0.51 g, 0.44 mmol) was added and the mixture was degassed similarly for 5 minutes. The reaction vial was sealed and heated in the microwave to 140° C. for 10 minutes. The reaction mixture was partitioned between water and ethyl acetate, and the aqueous portion was extracted with two further portions of ethyl acetate. The combined organic extracts were washed with water, followed by brine, dried over sodium sulfate, filtered and concentrated. Flash chromatography on silica gel, eluting with a gradient from 0-30% EtOAc/Hexanes afforded purified product (0.36 g, 80%). 1H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl3) δ 7.87-7.83 (m, 2H), 4.60 (dd, J=0.9 Hz, 2H), 3.51 (s, 3H); 19F NMR (376 MHz, CDCl3) 5-68.55 (s); LCMS (M+H)+: 217.1.

Provenance & Evidence