Methyl phenylacetate → Methyl 3-cyano-2-phenylpropanoate

Participants

Reaction Steps

Combine methyl phenylacetate (2.0 g, 13.32 mmol) and tetrahydrofuran (15 mL). Cool in a dry-ice/acetone bath. Add dropwise a solution of lithium diisopropylamide (6.66 mL, 2 M in THF, 13.32 mmol). After 1 hour, add α-bromoacetonitrile (1.6 g, 13.32 mmol). After 2 hours, warm the reaction mixture to ambient temperature and partition the reaction mixture between ethyl acetate and water. Separate the aqueous layer and extract three times with ethyl acetate. Dry the combined organic layers over Na2SO4, filter, and concentrate in vacuo to obtain a residue. Distill the residue bulb-to-bulb to give the title compound: bp; 150° C. at 0.5 mm Hg; Rf=0.72 (silica gel, 25% ethyl acetate/hexane).

Provenance & Evidence