Water → 4-(Hydroxymethyl)cyclohexane-1-carbonitrile

Participants

Reaction Conditions

Reaction Steps

A solution of 1.34 g of 4-cyanocyclohexanecarboxaldehyde (cis/trans mixture) in 40 ml of 0.1N methanolic potassium hydroxide solution was treated portionwise at 0° C. under argon gasification with 378 mg of solid sodium borohydride. After completion of the addition, the mixture was stirred at 0° C. for a further 20 minutes, then 50 ml of water were added and the mixture was extracted three times with 50 ml of methylene chloride each time. The organic phases were washed twice with 50 ml of water each time, dried over magnesium sulphate and concentrated. Low-pressure chromatography (0.4 bar) of the residual oil on silica gel with chloroform/ethyl acetate (1:1) gave 1.22 g (90%) of 4-(hydroxymethyl)cyclohexanecarbonitrile (likewise as an about 1:1 mixture of the two epimers) as a colourless viscous oil. This material was used in the following tosylation without further purification. Rf-value of 4-(hydroxymethyl)cyclohexanecarbonitrile [chloroform/ethyl acetate (1:1)]: 0.29 (longish spot).

Provenance & Evidence