Phenylacetic Acid → 2-Benzylisonicotinonitrile

Participants

Reaction Conditions

Reaction Steps

p-cyanopyridine (4.00 g, 38.4 mmol) was added to a 1:1 mixture of chlorobenzene/water (750 mL) in a 1 L round-bottom flask. Phenylacetic acid (14.6 g, 107.5 mmol), (NH4)2S2O8 (17.1 g, 74.9 mmol), trifluoroacetic acid (4.38 g, 38.4 mmol) and AgNO3 (0.510 g, 3.0 mmol) were added and the heterogeneous mixture was vigorously stirred at 50° C. for 2 h. The reaction was cooled down to 0° C. and 8 M NaOH was added slowly until pH 9-10. The mixture was filtered through Celite and extracted with EtOAc (×3). The combined organic extracts were dried with MgSO4 and the solvent removed in vacuo. The dark-brown oil was purified via flash chromatography (1:5 EtOAc/Hexane) to give a brown oil (4.480 g, 61%); 1H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl3): δ 4.19 (s, 2H), 7.23-7.35 (m, 7H), 8.68 (d, J=5.2 Hz, 1H); 13C NMR (100 MHz, CDCl3): δ 44.4, 120.8, 122.7, 124.6, 126.9, 128.5, 128.9, 129.1, 137.9, 150.2, 162.7; HRMS-EI (m/z): [M+H+] calcd for [C13HN11N2]+, 195.0922. found, 195.0917.

Provenance & Evidence