Acetaldehyde → alpha-Ethylidene 3-pyridineacetonitrile

Participants

Reaction Conditions

Reaction Steps

A mixture of 57 g of 3-pyridineacetonitrile, 23.3 g of acetaldehyde and 0.5 g of cesium carbonate were dissolved in 1 liter of ethanol. The solution was stirred at 20° C. for 30 hours, then partitioned between 2 liters of water and 1 liter of ether. The aqueous phase was extracted with three 1 liter portions of ether and then 500 ml of ethyl acetate. All organic layers were combined, dried and the solvent removed at reduced pressure giving an orange oil. This oil was purified by chromatography on silica gel, eluting with ethyl acetate:hexane (1:1), giving a pale yellow oil which was crystallized from methylene chloride-hexane, giving α-ethylidene 3-pyridineacetonitrile as white needles, mp 46°-47° C.

Provenance & Evidence