madscientist - 14-11-2002 at 18:06
Does anyone know if it's feasible to reduce a nitrile to an amine? For example: reducing acetonitrile to ethylamine. Would Al/Hg amalgam do the trick?
methyl cyanide
the_stupidu - 15-11-2002 at 04:48
CH3CN + NH3 = [CH3NH2] + HCN
or better
CH3CN + NH3*H2O = [CH3NH2]*H2O + HCN + (NOX ... CH3COOH)
???
Re: reduction of nitriles
solo - 11-12-2002 at 08:00
try the catalytic hydrogenation with nickle or the Gabriel synthesis to get primary amines only or the process with intermediate cyanide product when
treating the nitrile with NaCN but with hydrogenation with nickle you would get your primary amine, i.e. Benzyl chloride rx with NaCN get
phenylacetonitrile(benzyl cyanide) anfter rx with catalytic hydrogenation at 140 C , get beta-phenylethylamine.
REf. Morrison and Boyd,