Ethyl cyanoacetate → HCID 53920535, compound

Participants

Reaction Steps

A mixture of 10 g (51 mmol) of 4-methylbenzophenone, 4.9 mL (46 mL (46 mmol) of ethyl cyanoacetate, 0.72 g (9.3 mmol) of ammonium acetate, 2.2 mL (37 mmol) of acetic acid and 8 mL of benzene was heated at reflux for 18 h using a Dean-Stark water separator. Then, 1.1 mL of acetic acid and 0.35 g of ammonium acetate was added and the mixture was heated for 24 h more. The solvent was removed and the residue was dissolved in chloroform and washed with water. The organic phase was dried over magnesium sulfate and the solvent was removed to yield a crude product. This was chromatographed on silica gel (hexane-ethyl acetate mixtures of increasing polarity) to afford 10 g of the title compound of the example as a colourless oil (yield: 67%).

Provenance & Evidence