The hydrolysis of nitriles

Similarly aniline CgHjNHj is converted into benzonltrlle C3H5CN. Hydrolysis of the nitrile with so um hydroxide solution, followed by acidification, 3uelds the corresponding acid, for example ... 

In the Strecker synthesis an aldehyde is converted to an a ammo acid with one more carbon atom by a two stage procedure m which an a ammo nitrile is an mterme diate The a ammo nitrile is formed by reaction of the aldehyde with ammonia or an ammonium salt and a source of cyanide ion Hydrolysis of the nitrile group to a car boxylic acid function completes the synthesis... 

Physical properties for naphthalene mono-, di-, tri-, and tetracarboxyhc acids are summari2ed in Table 9. Most of the naphthalene di- or polycarboxyLic acids have been made by simple routes such as the oxidation of the appropriate dior polymethylnaphthalenes, or by complex routes, eg, the Sandmeyer reaction of the selected antinonaphthalenesulfonic acid, to give a cyanonaphthalenesulfonic acid followed by fusion of the latter with an alkah cyanide, with simultaneous or subsequent hydrolysis of the nitrile groups. 

Conversion of the nitrile to the amide has been achieved by both chemical and biological means. Several patents have described the use of modified Raney nickel catalysts ia this appHcation (25,26). Also, alkaH metal perborates have demonstrated their utiHty (27). Typically, the hydrolysis is conducted ia the presence of sodium hydroxide (28—31). Owiag to the fact that the rate of hydrolysis of the nitrile to the amide is fast as compared to the hydrolysis of the amide to the acid, good yields of the amide are obtained. Other catalysts such as magnesium oxide (32), ammonia (28,29,33), and manganese dioxide (34) have also been employed. 

Nitrile Group. Hydrolysis of the nitrile group proceeds through the amide to the corresponding carboxyUc acid. Because cyanohydrins are unstable at high pH, this hydrolysis must be cataly2ed by acids. In cases where amide hydrolysis is slower than nitrile hydrolysis, the amide may be isolated. 

Strong alkali or heating with dilute acids may lead to hydrolysis of the nitrile, and should be avoided. 

Hydrolysis of the nitrile in 130 (obtained by an alkylation analogous to that used to prepare 126) affords the acid, 131. esterification with ethanol affords the analgesic agent, norpipa-none (132). ... 

In a departure from the prototype molecule, the benzylpiperi-done is first converted to the corresponding aminonitrile (a derivative closely akin to a cyanohydrin) by treatment with aniline hydrochloride and potassium cyanide (126). Acid hydrolysis of the nitrile affords the corresponding amide (127). Treatment with formamide followed by reduction affords the spiro oxazinone... 

Although the biosynthetic cascade hypothesis predicts the co-occurrence of endiandric acids D (4) and A (1) in nature, the former compound was not isolated until after its total synthesis was completed in the laboratory (see Scheme 6). Our journey to endiandric acid D (4) commences with the desilylation of key intermediate 22 to give alcohol 31 in 95% yield. The endo side chain is then converted to a methyl ester by hydrolysis of the nitrile to the corresponding acid with basic hydrogen peroxide, followed by esterification with diazomethane to afford intermediate 32 in 92% overall yield. The exo side chain is then constructed by sequential bromination, cyanide displacement, ester hydrolysis (33), reduction, and olefination (4) in a straight-... 

Bromo-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-2-quinoxahnecarbonitrile (131) gave the 3-methoxy analog (132) (NaOH, MeOH, 20°C, 2h 90%) and thence 3-oxo-3,4,5,6,7,8-hexahydro-2-quinoxalmecarbonitrile (133) (Nal, MesSiCl, MeCN, 20°C, 6h 91%) this gentle indirect hydrolysis was clearly adopted to avoid hydrolysis of the nitrile group). ... 

The wide latitude of structural variation consistent with bioactivity in this series is illustrated by the observation that antiinflammatory activity is maintained even when the second aromatic group is attached directly to the pyrrole nitrogen rather than to the heterocyclic ring via a carbonyl group as in the previous case. Condensation of p-chloroaniline with hexane-2,5-dione (or its dimethoxy-tetrahydrofuran equivalent) affords pyrrole 7. The acetic acid side chain is then elaborated as above. Thus, Mannich reaction leads to the dimethylaminomethyl derivative 8, which is in turn methylated (9) the quaternary nitrogen replaced by cyanide to afford 10. Hydrolysis of the nitrile then gives clopirac (11). 

A more highly substituted pyrrolidone, doxapram, shows activity as a respiratory stimulant. Preparation of this agent involves an interesting rearrangement, which in effect results in a ring exchange reaction. Alkylation of the anion from diphenylacetonitrile with the chloropyrrolidine 14 affords 15. Hydrolysis of the nitrile function leads to the... 

Compounds (99) and (100) are thought to be formed by addition of cyanide ion to the ring ortho to the carbonyl, followed by protonation at oxygen, aromatization by tautomerization, hydrolysis of the nitrile, and lactonization upon acidification. The photolysis of 2-methoxyacetophenone, on the other hand, results in rearrangement to 3-methoxyacetophenone ... 

DTA examination of a 35% solution of the diazonium salt in sulfuric acid showed 3 exotherms, corresponding to hydrolysis of the nitrile group (peak at 95°), decomposition of the diazonium salt (peak at 160°) and loss of the nitro group (large peak at 240°C). Adiabatic decomposition of the solution from 50°C also showed 3 steps, with induction periods of around 30, 340 and 380 min, respectively. 

After hydrolysis of the nitrile to the aminocarboxylic acid, the authors obtained the dipeptide diglycine (Gly-Gly) and the tripeptide Gly-Gly-Gly. 

Substituted thioindigoid dyes are usually obtained via the appropriate benzenethiol in a Heumann-type synthesis. The final cyclisation of the phenylthioglycolic acid derivative can often be achieved in concentrated sulphuric acid or by using chlorosulphonic acid. Several routes make use of the Herz reaction (Scheme 6.22), in which a substituted aniline is converted into the corresponding o-aminothiophenol by reaction with sulphur monochloride followed by hydrolysis of the intermediate dithiazolium salt [47]. After reaction between the thiol and chloroacetic acid, the amino group is converted into a nitrile group by a Sandmeyer reaction. Hydrolysis of the nitrile leads to the formation of the required thioindoxyl derivative. 

Hydrolysis of the Nitrile.—The nitrile, mixed in a porcelain basin with four times its volume of concentrated hydrochloric acid, is heated on the water bath until an abundant separation of crystals begins to take place on the surface of the liquid. The reaction mixture is then allowed to stand over night in a cool place, and the crystals which have been deposited, after being rubbed with a little water, are separated at the filter pump and washed with water (not too much). A further quantity of the acid is obtained from the filtrate by extraction with ether. The crude mandelic acid is pressed on a porous plate, dried, and purified by crystallisation from benzene. Melting point 118°. Yield about 10-15 g. 

The cyanohydrin synthesis has been applied in the study of the sugars by H. Kiliani, who used it in the synthesis of higher members of the class. The carboxylic adds which result from the hydrolysis of the nitriles can be reduced, in the form of their lactones, to the corre-... 

The sequence can be rationalized mechanistically as involving nucleophilic attack of ammonia onto the aldehyde to produce an imine, which then acts as the electrophile for further nucleophilic attack, this time by the cyanide ion (see Section 7.7.1). The racemic amino acid is then formed by acid-catalysed hydrolysis of the nitrile function, as above (Box 7.9). 

Empirically, we found that to ensure complete reaction one needs a 0.5 molar equiv of the zinc salt (ZnXj) however, in many cases, lower loadings of zinc may be used. The chief competing reaction is hydrolysis of the nitrile to the primary amide therefore, in cases where the tetrazole-forming reaction is sufficiently fast, namely, with... 

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