Triethylamine → 2-Cyano-4-methylpyridine

Participants

Reaction Steps

Triethylamine (13.4 mL, 91.9 mmol) and trimethylsilyl cyanide (25 mL, 187.5 mmol) were added sequentially to a solution comprising 4-methylpyridine N-oxide (5 g, 45.8 mmol) and acetonitrile (20 mL). The mixture was heated at reflux for 24 hours, cooled and diluted with methylene chloride (150 mL). Saturated sodium bicarbonate solution (100 mL) was added slowly to the mixture and then the aqueous layer was separated and extracted with methylene chloride (100 mL). The combined organic layers were washed with water (2×150 mL), dried (MgSO4) and concentrated under reduced pressure. The residue was crystallized from ethyl acetate/hexanes to provide 4-methylpyridine-2-carbonitrile (3.5 g, 29.6 mmol) as a dark solid, 1H-NMR (300 Mhz, DMSO-d6): 2.4 (s, 3H), 7.6 (d, 1H, J=5 Hz), 7.8 (s, 1H), 8.6 (d, 1H, J=5 Hz), MS (ESI), Calculated for C7H6N2 : 228.24, Found (MH+): 119.

Provenance & Evidence