Water → 5,5-Diphenylpent-4-enenitrile

Participants

Reaction Steps

To a stirred solution of 73.g (1.5 mol) of sodium cyanide in 1 liter of hexamethylphosphoramide at ambient temperature was added over a 1 hour period a solution of 290. g (1 mol) of 4-bromo-1,1-diphenyl-1-butene in 0.5 liters of hexamethylphosphoramide. The mixture was stirred overnight, poured into 2 liters of water and extracted with 3×1 liters of ether. The ether extracts were combined, washed with 3×0.5 liters of Water, 0.5 liters of brine, and dried over sodium sulfate. The resulting crude solid was recrystallized from isopropyl ether to give 190 .g (80%) of 5,5-diphenyl-4-pentenenitrile as a white solid (mp 64°-66° C.) .

Provenance & Evidence