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Org. Synth. 1960, 40, 46
DOI: 10.15227/orgsyn.040.0046
3-(2-FURYL)ACRYLONITRILE
[2-Furanacrylonitrile]
Submitted by John M. Patterson1
Checked by Melvin S. Newman and Herbert Boden.
1. Procedure
A mixture of 105.6 g. (1.1 moles) of freshly distilled furfural, 87.0 g. (1.0 mole) of 98% cyanoacetic acid (Note 1), 3.0 g. of ammonium acetate, 200 ml. of toluene, and 110 ml. of pyridine is placed in a 1-l. round-bottomed flask equipped with a Stark and Dean water trap and reflux condenser. The mixture is boiled under reflux for 2 days. The theoretical quantity of water is collected in the trap within 1 hour. Upon completion of the reflux period, the solvent is removed under reduced pressure by heating on a water bath. The residue, distilled through a 15-cm. Vigreux column at 11 mm. pressure, yields 88.6–93.3 g. (74.5–78%) of colorless liquid boiling at 95–97°, n25D 1.5823–1.5825.
2. Notes
1. Cyanoacetic acid was obtained from Distillation Products Industries, Rochester, New York, and used without further purification.
3. Discussion
The method described is a modification of the procedure used by Ghosez2 to synthesize cinnamonitrile. 3-(2-Furyl)acrylonitrile has been prepared by catalytic condensation of furfural with acetonitrile in the vapor phase at 320°,3 by dehydration of the corresponding amide over phosphorus pentachloride,4 and by decarboxylation of 3-(2-furyl)-2-cyanoacrylic acid.5

References and Notes
  1. University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky.
  2. J. Ghosez, Bull. Soc. Chim. Belges., 41, 477 (1932).
  3. M. M. Brubaker, U. S. pat. 2,341,016 (1944) [C. A., 38, 4272 (1944)].
  4. H. Gilman and A. P. Hewlett, Iowa State Coll. J. Sci., 4 (1), 27 (1929).
  5. R. Heuck, Ber., 27, 2624 (1894).

Appendix
Chemical Abstracts Nomenclature (Collective Index Number);
(Registry Number)

ammonium acetate (631-61-8)

acetonitrile (75-05-8)

phosphorus pentachloride (10026-13-8)

pyridine (110-86-1)

toluene (108-88-3)

cyanoacetic acid (372-09-8)

Furfural (98-01-1)

3-(2-Furyl)acrylonitrile,
2-Furanacrylonitrile (7187-01-1)

Cinnamonitrile (4360-47-8)

3-(2-furyl)-2-cyanoacrylic acid