Methyl iodide → 4-(Benzyloxy)-2-methoxybenzonitrile

Participants

Reaction Steps

To a magnetically stirred solution of 4-benzyloxy-2-hydroxybenzonitrile (1-A, WO 00/69841) (7.95 g, 35.3 mmol) and iodomethane (5.43 mL, 87.2 mmol) in DMF (90 mL) cooled to −5° was added all at once sodium hydride (60% dispersion, 2.17 g, 54.2 mmol). The mixture was stirred for 30 min, warmed to room temperature and stirred for an additional 2 h. Most of the DMF was removed in vacuo, and the residue was partitioned between water and ethyl acetate. The aqueous phase was extracted three times with ethyl acetate. The combined organic phases were washed with water and saturated brine and dried (MgSO4). The residue after removal of the solvent in vacuo was triturated with hexane and chromatographed on silica gel with hexanes —CH2Cl2 (2:3) to give 4-benzyloxy-2-methoxybenzonitrile (1-B). MS: m/z 240 (M+1); 1H NMR (500 MHz, CDCl3): δ 7.47 (d, 1H, J=8.4 Hz), 7.36-7.45 (m, 5H), 6.58 (dd, 1H, J=2.3, 8.4 Hz), 6.57 (d, 1H, J=2.3 Hz), 5.10 (s, 2H), 3.88 (s, 3H) ppm.

Provenance & Evidence