Hydrochloric Acid → 5-(Benzyloxy)-4,4-dimethyl-3-oxopentanenitrile

Participants

Reaction Steps

To a suspension of sodium hydride (1.62 g of a 60% w/w dispersion in mineral oil, 40.5 mmol) in toluene (20 mL) at reflux was added a solution of methyl 3-(benzyloxy)-2,2-dimethylpropanoate [Eur. J. Org. Chem., 2007 (6) 934-942] (6.00 g, 27.0 mmol) and acetonitrile (2.12 ml, 40.5 mmol) in toluene, dropwise over 1 hr. The reaction mixture was heated for a further 5 hr at reflux then cooled to RT. The mixture was acidified to pH 4 with aqueous hydrochloric acid (1M) and extracted with EtOAc. The organic extract was washed with water and with brine then dried (MgSO4) and evaporated in vacuo to afford 5-(benzyloxy)-4,4-dimethyl-3-oxopentanenitrile as a yellow oil (7.50 g, 96%): m/z 232 (M+H)+ (ES+), which was used without purification in the next step.

Provenance & Evidence