Sodium nickel phosphate hydrate

Raney nickel hydrogenation of nitriles is aqueous acetic acid or in aqueous acetic acid-pyridine in the presence of sodium hypophosphite (NaH PO-i), which becomes oxidized to the phosphate, converts the nitriles into the corresponding aldehydes. The reaction takes place at room temperature and pressure. Yields are in the range 50-90%. Thus a solution of 1 g. of benzonitrile and 2 g. of hydrated sodium hypo-phosphite in 29 ml. of a 1 1 2 water-acetic acid-pyridine mixture was stirred with 0.3-0.4 g. of Raney nickel at 40-45° for 1 hr. benzaldehyde was isolated as the 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazone. 

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