Acetone → 2-Methyl-2-[(4-methylphenyl)amino]propanenitrile

Participants

Reaction Steps

Sodium cyanide (0.735 g, 15 mmol) was added to a mixture of p-toluidine (1.07 g, 10 mmol) and acetone (1.16 g, 20 mmol) in 90% acetic acid (10 ml). The reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for 12 h and then ethyl acetate (50 ml) was added. The organic layer was washed with water (4×30 ml), dried over magnesium sulfate and concentrated under vacuum to dryness to yield 2-methyl-2-(4-methylphenyl)aminopropanenitrile, 5a (1.65 g, 9.5 mmol, 95%) as a brown solid.

Provenance & Evidence