Synthesis
General procedure for the synthesis of 2-(3-fluorophenyl)ethylamine from m-fluorophenylacetonitrile: The standard procedure for the reduction of nitrile using KBH4 and CuCl2 is as follows: to a 10 mL round-bottomed flask were added m-fluorophenylacetonitrile (0.15 g, 1 mmol), KBH4 (0.17 g, 3 mmol), CuCl2 (0.03 g, 0.25 mmol), and an 80% isopropanol solution (prepared from 1.6 mL isopropanol and 0.4 mL water). The reaction mixture was stirred at 60 °C and the progress of the reaction was monitored by thin layer chromatography (TLC, unfolding agent ratio of dichloromethane: methanol = 10:1) to confirm that the reaction was completed within 8 hours. Upon completion of the reaction, the mixture was cooled to 25 °C and the solvent was subsequently removed by rotary evaporator. Ethyl acetate (5 mL) was added to the residue for dissolution and washed sequentially with water (1 mL) and saturated saline (1 mL). The organic layer was dried over anhydrous Na2SO4, filtered and concentrated in vacuum to give the crude product 2-(3-fluorophenyl)ethylamine.
References
[1] Asian Journal of Chemistry, 2015, vol. 27, # 10, p. 3564 - 3566
[2] Patent: WO2011/11522, 2011, A2. Location in patent: Page/Page column 58
[3] Patent: WO2012/79079, 2012, A1. Location in patent: Page/Page column 63-64
[4] Advanced Synthesis and Catalysis, 2012, vol. 354, # 16, p. 2997 - 3008
[5] Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 1986, vol. 29, # 7, p. 1302 - 1305
