Potassium Cyanide → 2-(4-Bromo-3-fluorophenyl)acetonitrile

Participants

Reaction Conditions

Reaction Steps

To a solution of 1-bromo-4-(bromomethyl)-2-fluorobenzene (1 g, 3.73 mmol) in ethanol (30 mL) was added KCN (0.243 g, 3.73 mmol). The resulting mixture was stirred at 60° C. After 3 h, LCMS analysis showed the starting material had disappeared. The solvent was removed in vacuo. The residue was dissolved in EA (80 mL) was washed with H2O (30 mL) and brine (30 mL). The organic layer was dried and concentrated to give the crude product, which was purified by silica column chromatography (PE/EA=10/1) to yield a white solid of 2-(4-bromo-3-fluorophenyl)acetonitrile (0.78 g, 2.96 mmol, 79.0% yield): 1H NMR (400 MHz, CD3OD) δ 7.63 (t, J=7.8 Hz, 1H), 7.24 (d, J=9.2 Hz, 1H), 7.12 (d, J=9.6 Hz, 1H), 3.92 (s, 2H); ES-LCMS m/z 214.0 (M+H).

Provenance & Evidence