645-59-0

clear colorless to light yellow liquid

A glucosinolate enzymic hydrolosis product with potential antibacterial activities against plant pathogenic bacteria

ChEBI: A nitrile that is propionitrile in which one of the methyl hydrogens has been replaced by a phenyl group.

To a stirred solution of 3-phenylpropanamide (50 mg, 0.34 mmol) in acetonitrile (0.8 mL) at room temperature were successively added formic acid (0.2 mL) and paraformaldehyde (50 mg, 1.67 mmol). The reaction mixture was then refluxed for 12 h, and the solution obtained was cooled to room temperature.
Work-up A: The crude mixture was concentrated under reduced pressure, and the residue was subjected to flash chromatography on silica gel (230–240 mesh) eluting with hexane/ethyl acetate (7:3) to yield 3-phenylpropanonitrile (37 mg, 85%).
Work-up B: The reaction mixture was diluted with ethyl acetate (10 mL) and washed successively with saturated sodium hydrogen carbonate solution (5 mL) and water (5 mL). The combined aqueous layers were extracted with ethyl acetate (2 × 10 mL). The combined organic layers were dried over Na2SO4, filtered, and concentrated. The crude 3-phenylpropanonitrile was purified as described above (Work-up A).

Journal of the American Chemical Society, 98, p. 4685, 1976 DOI: 10.1021/ja00431a078
Chemical and Pharmaceutical Bulletin, 10, p. 427, 1962 DOI: 10.1248/cpb.10.427