Chloroethane → Benzeneacetonitrile, .alpha.-ethyl-

Participants

Reaction Steps

Makosza et al. also studied the alkylation of phenylacetonitrile using quaternary ammonium salts as a catalyst, but satisfactory yields and purity could not be obtained. For example, they reported in Roczniki Chem. Vol. 39, 1223 (1965) and Chemical Abstracts Vol. 64, 12595 (1965) that when phenylacetonitrile is alkylated at room temperature with ethyl chloride in the presence of a 50% aqueous sodium hydroxide solution using benzyltriethyl ammonium chloride as a catalyst, 2-phenylbutyronitrile is obtained at a yield of 90%. The purity of the product was not disclosed, however.

Provenance & Evidence