Potassium Cyanide → 9-Anthraceneacetonitrile

Participants

Reaction Steps

A solution of 9-chloromethyl-anthracene (10.0 g, 44.11 mmol) and potassium cyanide (28.72 g, 441.1 mmol) in acetonitrile (1.6 L) was heated to reflux for 2 hours. The mixture was cooled to room temperature, filtered and concentrated. The residue was dissolved in CH2Cl2, washed with water, dried over MgSO4 and concentrated to give anthracen-9-yl-acetonitrile as yellow crystals (9.40 g, 98% yield). 1H NMR (CDCl3) δ 8.53 (1H, s), 8.18 (2H, d), 8.07 (2H, d), 7.65 (2H, dd), 7.54 (2H, dd), 4.60 (2H, s).

Provenance & Evidence