3-Hydroxybenzyl alcohol → 2-[3-(Hydroxymethyl)phenoxy]acetonitrile

Participants

Reaction Steps

A mixture of 3-hydroxymethyl phenol (0.081 mol), bromoacetonitrile (0.081 mol) and anhydrous potassium carbonate (0.081 mol) in acetone (160 ml) and dimethylformamide (20 ml) is heated at reflux for 48 hrs. The reaction mixture is filtered and evaporated. The residue is diluted with ethyl acetate (150 ml), washed with 10% aqueous sodium hydroxide solution (3×100 ml) and then with brine (3×100 ml). The ethyl acetate solution is dried (magnesium sulfate) and chromatographed using a silica gel column (ca. 100 g) and eluted with 1:1 petroleum ether:ethylacetate (21). The resultant oil is used directly in the next step.

Provenance & Evidence