2-(Benzylamino)acetonitrile

107-14-2

100-46-9

3010-05-7

To a suspension of benzylamine (1.0 mL, 9.2 mmol) and potassium carbonate (3.0 g, 22.0 mmol) in acetonitrile (25.4 mL) was added dropwise chloroacetonitrile (0.90 mL, 14.0 mmol). The reaction mixture was stirred at 60 °C for 16 hours. Upon completion of the reaction, the mixture was allowed to cool to room temperature and the excess solvent was subsequently removed under reduced pressure. The residue was diluted with dichloromethane, washed sequentially with saturated sodium bicarbonate solution and brine, the organic phase was dried over anhydrous magnesium sulfate, filtered and concentrated under reduced pressure. The crude product was purified by silica gel column chromatography to afford 2-(benzylamino)acetonitrile (1.2 g, 90% yield).LCMS (formic acid as additive): m/z 147.2 ([M+H]+).