Sodium Cyanide → 3-Chloro-2-cyanomethylbenzoic acid methyl ester

Participants

Reaction Conditions

Reaction Steps

To a solution of crude 2-bromomethyl-3-chlorobenzoic acid methyl ester (30.4 mmol) in DMF (60 mL), was added finely powdered sodium cyanide (2.22 g, 45 mmol). The reaction mixture turned brown rapidly, and became warm. The dark suspension was then immersed in an oil bath held at 55° C. The reaction mixture was allowed to stir at 55° C. for 1.5 hours, at which time heating was discontinued, and the reaction was allowed to cool to ambient temperature. After stirring at ambient temperature for 16 hours, the reaction was diluted with ether (300 mL) and water (200 mL). The layers were separated, the aqueous was extracted with ether (3×75 mL), and the combined organic extracts were washed with water (3×50 mL). The organic layer was then washed with brine (100 mL), dried over Na2SO4, filtered, and concentrated under reduced pressure to afford a yellow oil. The crude oil was purified by flash chromatography eluting with a gradient from 0% to 16% ethyl acetate/hexane to afford 3-chloro-2-cyanomethylbenzoic acid methyl ester (3.9 g, 65% yield over two steps) as a white solid: 1H-NMR (400 MHz, CDCl3): δ 7.96 (1H, dd, J=8.1 Hz, 1.3 Hz), 7.65 (1H, dd, J=8.1, 1.3), 7.4 (1H, t, J=7.9Hz), 4.35 (2H, s), 3.97 (3H, s) ppm.

Provenance & Evidence