Potassium Cyanide → 2-(4-Bromo-2-fluorophenyl)acetonitrile

Participants

Reaction Steps

To a solution of 4-bromo-2-fluorobenzylbromide (44.5 g, 166 mmol) in EtOH (118 mL) was added KCN (13.13 g, 182 mmol) and the mixture was stirred at reflux under an argon atmosphere for 18 h. The mixture was allowed to cool and the solvent was concentrated. The residue thus obtained was dissolved in a mixture of EtOAc and H2O and the two phases were separated. The aqueous phase was extracted with EtOAc and the combined organic phases dried and concentrated to a crude product. Purification by chromatography on silica gel (hexane-EtOAc, 10%) afforded the title compound as a reddish oil (30.0 g, 84%).

Provenance & Evidence