Hydrochloric Acid → Ethyl 2,3-Dicyanopropionate

Participants

Reaction Steps

Potassium cyanide (13.0 g, 0.2M) was stirred in absolute ethanol and ethyl cyanoacetate (22.6 g, 0.2M) and paraformaldehyde (6.0 g, 0.2m) were added at ambient temperature. After 5 minutes the white suspension was heated under reflux conditions for 12 minutes, and the orange solution was evaporated to dryness in vacuo at below 25° C. to give a buff solid. The solid (the potassium salt) was dissolved in water (400 ml), acidified to pH 5 with 2M hydrochloric acid solution, giving a red oil. This mixture was extracted with dichloromethane and the extracts dried and evaporated to dryness in vacuo to give the title compound as a red oil (23.5 g), 1H NMR (CDCl3) d 4.3 (2H, q), 3.95 (1H, t), 3.0 (2H, d), 1.35 (3H, t); identical with an authentic sample. Distilled material had b.p. 132-136° C. at 0.5mmHg. Yield : 77%.

Provenance & Evidence