Cyanoacetic acid → (Trimethylsilyl)methyl cyanoacetate

Participants

Reaction Steps

In a reactor fitted with a Dean-Stark apparatus hydroxymethyltrimethylsilane (3.8 g, 0.036 mol) and cyanoacetic acid (3.1 g, 0.036 mol) in 50 ml of toluene are refluxed for 4 hours in the presence of one drop of concentrated sulfuric acid. The organic phase is washed twice with water and is dried over sodium sulfate. It is concentrated under reduced pressure. Distillation under vacuum (b.p. 80° C. under 0.4 hPa) gives 4.3 g (69% yield) of trimethylsilanylmethyl cyanoacetate in the form of a colorless liquid which is used as it is in the following step.

Provenance & Evidence