Ammonia → HCID 21518334, compound

Participants

Reaction Steps

Propionitrile (286.5 g.) is added over the course of 40 minutes and with vigorous stirring to a suspension of sodamide (248 g.) [prepared from sodium (139.5 g.) and liquid ammonia (4 litres)] and then 4-(2-carboxyphenethyl)chlorobenzene (117 g.) is added over the course of 10 minutes. The ammonia is allowed to evaporate during a period of 16 hours. The brown residue is taken up in anaesthetic grade diethyl ether (1 litre) and then in water (2 litres) with care. The alkaline aqueous solution is decanted, extracted with diethyl ether (2 × 400 cc.) and then acidified by adding sulphuric acid (d = 1.36; 350 cc.) whilst cooling. The oil which separates out is extracted with methylene chloride (2 × 500 cc.). The organic extracts are dried over anhydrous sodium sulphate (100 g.) and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure (20 mm.Hg) at 60°C. The residual oil is dissolved in hot disopropyl ether (120 cc.); on cooling, a product crystallises and is filtered off. 2-[4-(2-Carboxyphenethyl)phenyl]propionitrile (55 g.), melting at 73°C., is thus obtained; after three recrystallisations from ethyl acetate, the product melts at 129°C.

Provenance & Evidence