Reaction Saponification of an Acid-Nitrile

REACTION SAPONIFICATION OF AN ACID-NITRILE Example Toluic Add from Tolyl Nitrile1 

By saponification in a narrow sense is understood the splitting up of an add-ester into an alcohol and add. It is, however, used in a wider sense to indicate the conversion of add-derivatives, like nitriles, amides, substituted amides, e.g., anilides, into adds of the same name. Saponification may be conducted either in an alkaline or an add solution. Thus, for instance, acetamide reacts on heating with a solution 

In order to effect saponification in acid solution, the substance to be saponified is heated with either hydrochloric acid or sulphuric add in varying degrees of dilution, e.g.  

Acid amides may be easily saponified by dissolving in concentrated sulphuric acid, cooling, adding sodium nitrite, and then gradually heating,1 e.g.  

In order to saponify a nitrile by this method it is first converted by heating with 85 % sulphuric add into the amide, and this is treated as directed above. 

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