Water → 2-(4-Nitrophenyl)propanenitrile

Participants

Reaction Conditions

Reaction Steps

A −15+ C. solution of 4-nitroacetophenone (16.5 g, 100 mmol) and tosylmethyl isocyanide (29.3 g, 150 mmol) in methoxyethyl ether (400 ml) was slowly treated with a room temperature solution of the potassium t-butoxide (28 g, 250 mmol) in t-butanole (200 ml). The reaction mixture was stirred at −15 ° C. for 1 h and then allowed to warm to room temperature over night. Water (100 ml) was added to the mixture and organic was extracted with ether (3×200 ml). The combined organic fraction was washed with water (3×200 ml), brine (100 ml), dried over sodium sulfate, and concentrated in vacuo to give the crude material which was further purified by flash chromatography (SiO2, 30% EtOAc: Hexane) to give 13.6 g (77%) of the title compound. NMR was consistent with the proposed title structure.

Provenance & Evidence