Hydrochloric Acid → 5-Methoxy-2-nitro-4-(trifluoromethyl)benzene acetonitrile

Participants

Reaction Conditions

Reaction Steps

A mixture of 1-Methoxy4-nitro-2-trifluoromethylbenzene (93 g, 0.421 mol) and 4 chlorophenoxyacetonitrile (77.55 g, 0.463 mol) in dry DMF (500 ml) was added dropwise over 0.75 h to a stirred solution of KOtBu (103.85 g, 0.927 mol) in dry DMF (400 ml) at −10° C. After complete addition the resulting purple solution was maintained at −10° C. for 1 h then poured into a mixture of ice/water (1.5 l) and 5 M aqueous HCl (1.5 l). The resulting mixture was extracted with dichloromethane (3×1 l). The combined extracts were washed with water (3 l), dried (Na2SO4) and evaporated under reduced pressure. The residue was chromatographed on silica using 10-40% ethyl acetate/petroleum ether as eluant to give the crude product which was recrystallised from ethyl acetate/petroleum ether to afford the title compound (85.13 g, 78%) as a white solid. Mp 103-104° C.

Provenance & Evidence