Benzene → 3-(3-Bromopropyl)benzonitrile

Participants

Reaction Steps

To a mixture of 21.8 g (0.083 moles) of triphenyl phosphine stirred in 30 ml acetonitrile, 13.2 g (4.26 ml) bromide in 75 ml acetonitrile was added dropwise with stirring in an ice bath. After the addition was complete, the ice bath was removed and the mixture warmed to room temperature. Then a mixture of 12.1 g (0.075 mole) of 3-(3-cyanophenyl)-1-propanol (the product of step (b)) in 30 ml acetonitrile was added dropwise. The resulting mixture was allowed to warm to about 45°-50° C., was stirred overnight and then stripped. Benzene (50 ml) was added to the residue; the mixture was evaporated. Then, additional benzene (50 ml) was added. The mixture was stirred, and then filtered to remove the triphenyl phosphine. The filtrate was stripped to give an oil. The oil was chromatographed using a column containing 3.5 inches of 200 mesh silica gel (Merck) eluting with benzene, until TLC showed that no further product was eluted from the column. The eluates were pooled and stripped to give 17 g of an oil. The oil was distilled in a Kugelrohr apparatus, the fraction bpt. 102°-103° C. was collected to give 15.7 g of the above-identified product as an oil.

Provenance & Evidence