Synthesis
GENERAL METHOD: Dissolve sodium ethoxide (0.1 mmol) in ethanol (3 mL), add ethyl cyanoacetate (10 mmol) and benzylamine (10 mmol), and stir the reaction at room temperature. For primary amines, the reaction time was 1 hour; for secondary amines, the reaction time was extended to 2 hours. Upon completion of the reaction, the resulting precipitate was separated by filtration, washed with diethyl ether and recrystallized in ethanol, resulting in N-benzyl-2-cyanoacetamide as a white solid.
References
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[2] Chemical Communications, 2017, vol. 53, # 12, p. 2020 - 2023
[3] Organic Letters, 2014, vol. 16, # 7, p. 2018 - 2021
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[5] Angewandte Chemie - International Edition, 2015, vol. 54, # 9, p. 2849 - 2853
