2-Bromo-3-nitro-pyridine (0.500 g, 2.46 mmol) was mixed with copper (I) cyanide (0.450 g, 5.02 mmol) in a 50 mL round-bottom flask. The flask was slowly heated in an oil bath. When the temperature reached 150 °C (takes 2 h), the reaction mass began to turn black. The mixture was cooled to room temperature and reaction mass were treated with hot acetone (100 mL). The resulting mixture was filtered, and the mother liquor evaporated to dryness to yield the crude compound as a dark brown solid. This solid was purified by column chromatography (eluent: 100percent dichloromethane) to give 2-Cyano-3-nitropyridine as a white powder (0.250 g, 68 %).
