499983-13-0

Off-white powder

A mixture of 3-fluoro-4-bromobenzyl bromide (27 mmol) and sodium cyanide (2.38 g, 54 mmol, 2.0 eq.) in ethanol (100 mL) was heated and reacted at 80 °C for 2 hours. Upon completion of the reaction, the mixture was concentrated to dryness under vacuum, followed by suspension of the residue in water and extraction with ethyl acetate. The organic phase was washed with brine and dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate. The solvent was removed under reduced pressure to give the crude product as a heavy oil. Purification by silica gel column chromatography (eluent gradient: 2%→12% ethyl acetate/hexane) resulted in 3-fluoro-4-bromophenylacetonitrile as white acicular crystals (1.96 g, 35% overall yield in two steps).

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