Water → 2-Nitrophenylacetonitrile

Participants

Reaction Steps

Water (50,000 ml), 2,940 ml of glacial acetic acid and (22.22 moles) of 2-nitrophenylpyruvic acid oxime are charged into a 20 gallon reactor. The stirred suspension is heated over two hours under nitrogen atmosphere to 90° and this temperature is maintained for 2 hours. The dark solution is allowed to cool slowly and is stirred overnight at ambient temperature. The suspension is extracted with 5×4,000 ml of methylene chloride, washed with 3×3,000 ml of water, dried over magnesium sulfate and filtered. The filtrate is treated with activated carbon, filtered and the solvent is removed under reduced pressure. The solid residue is recrystallized from 1,000 ml of isopropanol to give 2-nitrophenylacetonitrile, m.p. 82°-84°.

Provenance & Evidence