Water → 4-Nitroaniline

Participants

Reaction Steps

A mixture of 120 parts of acrylonitrile and 1000 parts of acetone is introduced into the solution of the diazo derivative obtained from 276 parts of p-nitraniline. Then 40 parts of cupric chloride cyrstallised with 2 molecules of water are added and the mixture is kept vigorously stirred. The evolution of nitrogen is exothermal and the temperature must be maintained at 30°-32° C. by means of a cooling bath. After the diazonium chloride has disappeared (six hours), the yellow flakes which melt at 108° C. are filtered off. After recrystallising from methanol, 330 parts of 2-chloro-4'-nitro-3-phenyl-propionitrile are obtained which melts at 112° C. The product obtained is then dehydrohalogenated by means of 200 parts of crystalline sodium acetate in a mixture of 340 parts of water and 800 parts of ethyl alcohol. The mixture is heated under reflux for 12 hours and 225 parts of 4-nitro-cinnamonitrile which melts at 202° C. are isolated in the cold.

Provenance & Evidence