Formic Acid → HCID 14255315, compound

Participants

Reaction Conditions

Reaction Steps

Raney nickel alloy (9.72 g) was added to a solution of part of the crude (2-(3-chlorophenoxymethyl)benzonitrile (9.72 g) in 75% formic acid (150 ml). The resulting mixture was heated at 150° C. for about 5 hours, further Raney nickel alloy (3 g) was added, and heating at 150° C. was continued for a further 17 hours. The mixture was filtered and the solid was washed with a little methanol. The combined filtrate and washings were diluted with water and extracted with ether. The extracts was washed successively with water, aqueous potassium carbonate and brine, then dried and concentrated to give 2-(3-chlorophenoxymethyl)benzaldehyde (5.80 g) as a yellow-brown oil, 1H NMR delta 5.51 (2H, s), 10.18 (1H, s) ppm. A mixture of this crude benzaldehyde, methyl(methylthiomethyl)sulphoxide (1.73 g) and Triton B [(40 weight % solution of benzyltrimethylammonium hydroxide in methanol) 1.21 ml] in THF (6 ml) was heated at 110° C. for 3 hours. Further Triton B (2 ml) was added and the mixture was heated for a further 4 hours at 110° C. Further Triton B (2 ml) and methyl (methylthiomethyl)sulphoxide (1.5 ml) were then added and the mixture was heated for a further 6 hours at 110° C. After cooling, the mixture was poured into water and extracted with ether. The extracts were washed with water and brine, dried, concentrated and chromatographed using ether as eluant to give a single stereoisomer of the sulphoxide (A) [1.10 g, 7% yield from 2-(bromomethyl)benzonitrile] as a viscous oil, 1H NMR delta 2.18 (3H, s), 2.74 (3H, s), 5.04 and 5.12 (each 1H, d J 12Hz), 7.85 (1H, s) ppm.

Provenance & Evidence