Phenol → 4-Bromo-2-phenoxybenzonitrile

Participants

Reaction Steps

Sodium hydride (12 g, 300 mmol) (60% by wt) was weighed into a flask and washed free of oil with several hexane rinsings. The hexanes were decanted and discarded and DMF was added to the flask. A DMF-solution of phenol (23.5 g, 250 mmol in 100 mL DMF) was added dropwise to the NaH mixture and stirred at room temperature. To the phenoxide was added a solution of 4-bromo-2-fluoro-benzonitrile (50 g, 250 mmol in 100 mL DMF), dropwise. Upon complete addition, the reaction was refluxed for 20 h. The reaction was cooled to room temperature, and poured into cold 1 N NaOH. A fine, tan precipitate formed and was collected by vacuum filtration to give 62.04 g (226 mmol) of Compound 1a. MS m/z (MH+) 277.

Provenance & Evidence