Bromoacetonitrile → ((S)-2-Biphenyl-4-ylmethyl-5-oxo-pyrrolidin-1-yl)acetonitrile

Participants

Reaction Conditions

Reaction Steps

1.5 g (5.97 mmol) (S)-5-biphenyl-4-ylmethylpyrrolidin-2-one (1, R1═H) is dissolved in 15 ml dry THF and cooled to −78° C. After the addition of 4.13 ml butyl lithium in hexane (1.59 M) the yellow solution is stirred at −78° C. for 30 min. Subsequently, 475 l (855 mg, 7.16 mmol) bromoacetonitrile is added and the mixture is warmed up to room temperature overnight. The reaction is then quenched on addition of 10 ml saturated NH4Cl solution followed by the addition of 6 ml water and the mixture is extracted with 2×40 ml ethyl acetate. The combined organic layers are separated, dried over MgSO4, filtered and evaporated. The resulting residue is purified by column chromatography (dichloromethane:methanol=99:1) to give ((S)-2-Biphenyl-4-ylmethyl-5-oxo-pyrrolidin-1-yl)acetonitrile (1-a, R1=cyanomethyl) as off-white solid. NMR (400 MHz, DMSO-d6, /ppm): 7.65 (m, 4H); 7.47 (t, J=7.4, 2 H); 7.40 (m, 3H); 4.57 (d, J=17.7, 1H); 4.44 (d, J=17.7, 1H); 3.91 (m, 1H); 3.19 (dd, J=3.9, 13.8, 1H); 2.70 (dd, J=9.2, 13.8, 1H); 2.18 (m, 2H); 1.95 (m, 1H); 1.77 (m, 1H). MS (ESI, m/e) 291 [M+H]+. IR (solution in CH2Cl2, /cm−1): 3025; 2985; 2257; 1697; 1688; 1486; 1421; 1323; 1271; 1182; 760; 699.

Provenance & Evidence