Sodium cyanate with alkyl halides

Alkyl halides or sulfuric or sulfonic esters can be heated with sodium or potassium thiocyanate to give alkyl thiocyanates, though the attack by the analogous cyanate ion (10-66) gives exclusive N-alkylation. Primary amines can be converted to thiocyanates by the Katritzky pyrylium-pyridinium method (pp. 447, 489). "... 

When the reagent is the thiocyanate ion, S-alkylation is an important side reaction (10-43), but the cyanate ion practically always gives exclusive N-alkylation. ° Primary alkyl halides have been converted to isocyanates by treatment with sodium nitrocyanamide (NaNCNN02) and m-chloroperoxybenzoic acid, followed by heating of the initially produced RN(N02)CN. ° When alkyl halides are treated with NCO in the presence of ethanol, carbamates can be prepared directly (see 16-7). ° Acyl halides give the corresponding acyl isocyanates and isothiocyanates. For the formation of isocyanides, see 10-111. 

Vinylic copper reagents react with CICN to give vinyl cyanides, though BrCN and ICN give the vinylic halide instead." Vinylic cyanides have also been prepared by the reaction between vinylic lithium compounds and phenyl cyanate PhOCN." Alkyl cyanides (RCN) have been prepared, in varying yields, by treatment of sodium trialkylcyanoborates with NaCN and lead tetraacetate." Vinyl bromides reacted with KCN, in the presence of a nickel complex and zinc metal to give the vinyl nitrile. Vinyl triflates react with LiCN, in the presence of a palladium catalyst, to give the vinyl nitrile." ... 

A typical phase transfer catalytic reaction of the liquid/liquid type is the cyanation of an alkyl halide in an organic phase using sodium or potassium cyanide in an aqueous phase. When these phases are stirred and heated together very little reaction occurs. However, addition of a small amount of crown ether (or cryptand) results in the reaction occurring to yield the required nitrile. The crown serves to transport the cyanide ion, as its ion pair with the complexed potassium cation, into the organic phase allowing the reaction to proceed. 

Consequently a process was developed where the required TAA salts are formed directly during the reaction and continuously regenerated via ion exchange with the aqueous phase. Since one TAA cation can transfer into the organic phase a great number of required anions via multiple ion exchange, the TAA salts can be used in much smaller than stoichiometric quantities, acting virtually as catalysts. The term phase-transfer catalysis is usied for this type of processes(3). This principle is conveniently explained when the cyanation of an alkyl halide, dissolved in a hydrocarbon with aqueous solution of sodium cyanide, is considered(3). 

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