Selective and continuous-flow mono-methylation of arylacetonitriles with dimethyl carbonate under gas-liquid phase-transfer catalysis conditions

Abstract

Very high selectivity in monomethylation of arylacetonitriles is observed when dimethyl carbonate is used as an alkylating agent under g.l.-p.t.c. conditions: thus phenylacetonitrile, reacting on a catalytic bed of corundum spheres coated with K₂CO₃ and polyethyleneglycol, yields 2-phenylpropionitrile with only 1% of bismethylated by-product. The method is a new, one-step, general route to the synthesis of 2-arylpropionitriles.