Phosphorus oxychloride → 4-Chloro-2-(methylsulfanyl)pyrimidine-5-carbonitrile

Participants

Reaction Steps

A mixture of 48.3 g (289 mmol) of 4-hydroxy-2-(methylthio)-5-pyrimidinecarbonitrile and 150 mL of phosphorus oxychloride is heated at reflux for 3 hours. The reaction mixture is cooled to room temperature, filtered, and the filtrate is concentrated to dryness. The residue is partitioned between dichloromethane and ice water. The organic phase is washed with water, dried over magnesium sulfate, and concentrated to a residue that is diluted with 750 mL of hexane. The stirred mixture is heated to reflux and the hot hexane solution is decanted from the insoluble material. Upon cooling to room temperature, crystals form and are collected to afford 32 g (60%) of the title compound.

Provenance & Evidence