1,2-Dichloroethane → (3S)-3-hydroxy-3-phenylpropanenitrile

Participants

Reaction Steps

To a 250 round bottom flask were sequentially added 10.0 g of (R)-styrene oxide, 40 ml of 1,2-dichloroethane, 40 ml of 1N potassium hydroxide, 5.96 g of potassium cyanide and 267 mg of tetrabutylammonium bromide. The resulting mixture was heated at reflux for 6 hours. The reaction mixture was cooled and diluted with 1N potassium hydroxide, and extracted with diethyl ether. The ether extracts were combined and washed twice with a saturated sodium chloride solution. The organics layer was dried over magnesium sulfate and concentrated in vacuo. The resulting yellow oil was vacuum distilled at 13 mm pressure and the distillate collected at 140°-180° C. providing 4.11 g of title intermediate.

Provenance & Evidence