Potassium Cyanide → 2-Amino-2-(4-carboxy-2-phenylphenyl)acetic acid

Participants

Reaction Conditions

Reaction Steps

A stirred mixture of 4-cyano-2-phenylbenzaldehyde (0.15 g, 0.7 mmol), ammonium carbonate (0.27 g, 2.8 mmol) and potassium cyanide (91 mg, 1.4 mmol) in ethanol-water (1:1, 4 ml) was heated to 85° C. for 4 hours in a sealed vessel. After cooling, the mixture was diluted with water (2 ml) and cautiously acidified to pH1 precipitating a sticky solid. The crude solid was dissolved in 2M sodium hydroxide and heated to 120° C. for 16 hours in a sealed vessel. After cooling, the reaction solution was chromatographed directly on ion exchange resin, as described in Example 3 (iii) to give the title product as a white solid, m.p. 238°-240° C.

Provenance & Evidence