Cyanide, reaction with alcohols

Addition of hydrogen sulfide and thiols is qualitatively similar to reaction with alcohols in that there are two stages, formation of hemithioacetal (or hemithio-ketal) followed by acid-catalyzed elimination of the hydroxy group and substitution of a second —SR (Equations 8.47 and 8.48). The transformation has been studied less extensively than hydration and acetal formation, and relatively little information on mechanism is available. The initial addition appears to be specific base-catalyzed, an observation that implies that RS is the species that adds. The situation is thus similar to cyanide addition. General acid catalysis has, however, been found at pH 1 to 2 for addition of weakly acidic alkyl thiols, and the reaction rate as a function of pH has a minimum and rises both on the... 

SAFETY PROFILE A highly corrosive irritant to the eyes, skin, and mucous membranes. Mildly toxic by inhalation, Explosive reaction with alcohols + hydrogen cyanide, potassium permanganate, sodium (with aqueous HCl), tetraselenium tetranitride. Ignition on contact with aluminum-titanium alloys (with HCl vapor), fluorine, hexa-lithium disilicide, metal acetylides or carbides (e.g., cesium acetylide, rubidium ace-tylide). Violent reaction with 1,1-difluoro-ethylene. Vigorous reaction with aluminum, chlorine + dinitroanilines (evolves gas). Potentially dangerous reaction with sulfuric acid releases HCl gas. Adsorption of the acid onto silicon dioxide is exothermic. See also HYDROGEN CHLORIDE (AEROSOL) and HYDROCHLORIC ACID. 

Reaction with alcohols. In the presence of urea, TCNE reacts with alcohols, for example ethylene glycol, with elimination of hydrogen cyanide. " The product. 

CHLORCYAN (506-77-4) CNCl C-N-CL Noncombustible gas. Violent polymerization can be caused by chlorine or moisture. Violent reaction with alcohols, alkenes, and alkynes (violent exothermic reaction) acids, acid salts, amines, strong alkalis, olefins, strong oxidizers. Contact with acid forms toxic hydrogen cyanide gas. Mixtures with benzene or cyanogen halides yield hydrogen chloride. In cmde form, this chemical trimerizes violently if catalyzed by traces of hydrogen chloride or ammonium chloride, forming cyanuric chloride. Alkaline conditions will convert this chemical to... 

Imidazoles.—Formation. Several new syntheses of imidazoles from isocyanides have been reported these include the formation of 1-alkyl-imidazoles (396) by the action of primary amines on 2-isocyano-2-tosylstyrene, PhCH=C-(NOTos, the cyclization of the enamine Me2NCH=C(NC)C02Me to compound (397) in the presence of methyl iodide,and the preparation of the ethers or thioethers (398) from isocyano-cyanides R CH(NC)CN by their reaction with alcohols or thiols R XH, respectively.Aromatic aldehydes are converted into 2-aryl-4,5-dichloroimidazoles (399) by the combined action of cyanogen and hydrochloric acid. 5-Acetyl-4-methylimidazole (400) results when form-amido-acetylacetone, AC2CHNHCHO, is heated with formamide and formic acid. Exhaustive chlorination of tetramethyldithio-oxamide leads to the tri-chloro-imidazolium cation (401). ... 

Reaotions with Nualeophiles. Not surprisingly cyclopropenium salts are attacked by nucleophilic, reagents. An example,which has been discussed earlier in this chapter in connexion with the stability of cyclopropenium salts, is the reaction with water to form covalent cyclopropenols. Other common examples include the reactions with alcohols and with cyanide ions to give, respectively, ethers [2,5] and covalent nitriles [1], e.g.. ... 

Zinc cyanide. Solutions of the reactants are prepared by dis solving 100 g. of technical sodium cyanide (97-98 per cent. NaCN) in 125 ml. of water and 150 g. of anhydrous zinc chloride in the minimum volume of 50 per cent, alcohol (1). The sodium cyanide solution is added rapidly, with agitation, to the zinc chloride solution. The precipitated zinc cyanide is filtered off at the pump, drained well, washed with alcohol and then with ether. It is dried in a desiccator or in an air bath at 50°, and preserved in a tightly stoppered bottle. The yield is almost quantitative and the zinc cyanide has a purity of 95-98 per cent. (2). It has been stated that highly purified zinc cyanide does not react in the Adams modification of the Gattermann reaction (compare Section IV,12l). The product, prepared by the above method is, however, highly satisfactory. Commercial zinc cyanide may also be used. 

Reactions of the Side Chain. Benzyl chloride is hydrolyzed slowly by boiling water and more rapidly at elevated temperature and pressure in the presence of alkaHes (11). Reaction with aqueous sodium cyanide, preferably in the presence of a quaternary ammonium chloride, produces phenylacetonitrile [140-29-4] in high yield (12). The presence of a lower molecular-weight alcohol gives faster rates and higher yields. In the presence of suitable catalysts benzyl chloride reacts with carbon monoxide to produce phenylacetic acid [103-82-2] (13—15). With different catalyst systems in the presence of calcium hydroxide, double carbonylation to phenylpymvic acid [156-06-9] occurs (16). Benzyl esters are formed by heating benzyl chloride with the sodium salts of acids benzyl ethers by reaction with sodium alkoxides. The ease of ether formation is improved by the use of phase-transfer catalysts (17) (see Catalysis, phase-thansfer). 

Bromomethyl-5-methylthiophene gives normal displacement products with amines but it is isomerized on attempted reaction with copper(I) cyanide (Scheme 59) 48MI30200. Whereas 2-hydroxymethylthiophene reacts normally with hydrogen halides to give 2-halomethylthiophenes, reaction of 2-hydroxymethylfuran (2-furfuryl alcohol) with hydrochloric acid results in formation of laevulinic acid (151). 2-Furfuryl alcohol derivatives are... 

This method is particularly applicable to the more reactive benzyl halides which are easily hydrolyzed in the aqueous media usually employed for the metathetical reaction with alkali cyanides. For example, anisyl chloride treated with sodium cyanide in aqueous dioxane gives, as a by-product, 5-10% of anisyl alcohol as determined by infrared analysis. The use of anhydrous acetone not only prevents hydrolysis to the alcohol but also decreases the formation of isonitriles. This method was also applied successfully by the submitters to the preparation of -chlo-rophenylacetonitrile in 74% yield. 

Palladium complexes also catalyze the carbonylation of halides. Aryl (see 13-13), vinylic, benzylic, and allylic halides (especially iodides) can be converted to carboxylic esters with CO, an alcohol or alkoxide, and a palladium complex. Similar reactivity was reported with vinyl triflates. Use of an amine instead of the alcohol or alkoxide leads to an amide. Reaction with an amine, AJBN, CO, and a tetraalkyltin catalyst also leads to an amide. Similar reaction with an alcohol, under Xe irradiation, leads to the ester. Benzylic and allylic halides were converted to carboxylic acids electrocatalytically, with CO and a cobalt imine complex. Vinylic halides were similarly converted with CO and nickel cyanide, under phase-transfer conditions. ... 

By studying the NMR spectra of the products, Jensen and co-workers were able to establish that the alkylation of (the presumed) [Co (DMG)2py] in methanol by cyclohexene oxide and by various substituted cyclohexyl bromides and tosylates occurred primarily with inversion of configuration at carbon i.e., by an 8 2 mechanism. A small amount of a second isomer, which must have been formed by another minor pathway, was observed in one case (95). Both the alkylation of [Co (DMG)2py] by asymmetric epoxides 129, 142) and the reduction of epoxides to alcohols by cobalt cyanide complexes 105, 103) show preferential formation of one isomer. In addition, the ratio of ketone to alcohol obtained in the reaction of epoxides with [Co(CN)5H] increases with pH and this has been ascribed to differing reactions with the hydride (reduction to alcohol) and Co(I) (isomerization to ketone) 103) (see also Section VII,C). 

Isomerization has been observed with many a,j3-unsaturated carboxylic acids such as w-cinnamic 10), angelic, maleic, and itaconic acids (94). The possibility of catalyzing the interconversion of, for example, 2-ethyl-butadiene and 3-methylpenta-l,3-diene has not apparently been explored. The cobalt cyanide hydride will also catalyze the isomerization of epoxides to ketones (even terminal epoxides give ketones, not aldehydes) as well as their reduction to alcohols. Since the yield of ketone increases with pH, it was suggested that reduction involved reaction with the hydride [Co" (CN)jH] and isomerization reaction with [Co (CN)j] 103). A related reaction is the decomposition of 2-bromoethanol to acetaldehyde... 

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