Formaldehyde → 2-Hydroxymethyl-2-phenylheptanenitrile

Participants

Reaction Conditions

Reaction Steps

5.14 g (27.4 mmol) of 2-phenylheptanenitrile are added to a suspension of 1.34 g of 60% NaH in 50 ml of DMF cooled to 0° C. After stirring for 30 minutes, 7.6 g (220 mmol) of paraformaldehyde are added portionwise. The reaction medium is left to stir at ambient temperature for 6 hours and then hydrolysed with ice and extracted with diethyl ether. The organic phase is washed with a saturated aqueous solution of sodium hydrogen carbonate, dried over sodium sulphate, filtered and evaporated under pressure. The crude product obtained is purified by silica gel chromatography (eluent 8/2 heptane/ethyl acetate). 4.24 g in the form of a pale yellow oil are obtained with a yield of 71%.

Provenance & Evidence