Acetonitrile → 3-(4-(Benzyloxy)-2-fluorophenyl)-3-oxopropanenitrile

Participants

Reaction Steps

Acetonitrile (1.66 mL, 31.7 mmol) was dissolved in dry THF (40 mL) and the mixture was cooled to −78 C. Butyllithium (2.5 M, 9.5 mL, 23.8 mmol) was added dropwise, and the resulting reaction mixture was stirred for 15 minutes. A solution of 4-(benzyloxy)-2-fluorobenzoyl chloride (2.1 g, 7.93 mmol) in THF was then added dropwise to the reaction mixture, and the resulting reaction mixture was stirred at −78 C for 40 minutes. Saturated ammonium chloride solution was then added carefully to the reaction mixture, and the resulting mixture was allowed to warm to room temperature. Next, the mixture was partitioned between water and EtOAc, and the organic portion was washed further with brine, then dried over sodium sulfate, and concentrated onto silica gel and purified by chromatography (gradient: 9:1 EtOAc:hexanes to 1:1 EtOAc:hexanes to 100% ethyl acetate) to give the title compound in 79% yield.

Provenance & Evidence