Sodium Cyanide → HCID 22882817, compound

Participants

Reaction Conditions

Reaction Steps

18.0 g (367 mmol) of sodium cyanide were added to a solution of 65.0 g (233 mmol) of (6,7,8,9-tetrahydropyrido[1,2-a]indol-8(S)-yl)methyl methanesulfonate in 500 ml of dimethylformamide and the mixture was heated at 70° C. for 24 hours. The mixture was partitioned between 1000 ml of water and 600 ml of ethyl acetate. The aqueous phase was extracted twice with 700 ml of ethyl acetate each time and the combined extracts were washed in twice with 500 ml of water each time, dried over magnesium sulfate and evaporated. The brown solid obtained was dissolved in ethyl acetate and the solution was filtered through a pad of silica gel. The solvent was removed in a vacuum and the residue was crystallized from methanol to give 25.8 g of 6,7,8,9-tetrahydropyrido[1,2-a]indole-8(S)-acetonitrile as a light brown solid of melting point 100°-101° C.; [α]D20 -40.6° (c=0.84%, CH2Cl2).

Provenance & Evidence