Potassium Cyanide → 3-Chloro-2-iodobenzeneacetonitrile

Participants

Reaction Steps

A mixture of 1-(bromomethyl)-3-chloro-2-iodobenzene (7 g, 21 mmol) in 100 mL EtOH was treated with a solution of potassium cyanide (2 mL, 42 mmol) in 20 mL water. The mixture was refluxed for 2.5 hours. The mixture was cooled to room temperature and concentrated. The residue was diluted with 200 mL EtOAc, washed with water (2×50 mL), saturated NaCl (50 mL), dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate and concentrated. The crude product was purified by column chromatography (20% EtOAc/hexane) to give 3.2 g pale yellow solid. MS m/e: (M+H)+ 278.

Provenance & Evidence