The Journal of Organic Chemistry

Trimethyl Orthoformate as a Highly Selective Mono-C-Methylating Agent for Arylacetonitriles

M Selva, P Tundo

Index: Selva, Maurizio; Tundo, Pietro Journal of Organic Chemistry, 1998 , vol. 63, # 25 p. 9540 - 9544

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Citation Number: 8

Abstract

The mono-C-methylation of arylacetonitriles (ArCH2-CN, 1) to produce 2-arylproprionitriles [ArCH (CH3) CN, 2] represents a valuable reaction especially from a pharmaceutical standpoint. In fact, a number of compounds 2 are key intermediates for the synthesis of nonsteroidal analgesics of the hydratropic acid (2-arylpropanoic acid) class. 1 Common well- known examples are Ibuprofen, Ketoprofen, and Naproxen (Chart 1). However, synthetic ...