Aminobenzonitrile prepn - from halogen - substd triphenylphosphine phenylimines and metal cyanides, esp cuprous cyanide, and hydrolysis

摘要

Aminobenzonitriles of formula (I): (where X is H, Cl, Br, NO2, CN, Me- or Et-sulphonyl, -COOMe or -COOEt; Y is H, Cl, Br, NO2, CN, Me- or Et sulphonyl, -COOMe or -COOEt, Me, MeO or a gp. of formula: (where R is 1 - 4C alkyl, or Ph opt. substd. by Cl, Br, Me, MeO or EtO; R2 is Me, Et or Ph opt. substd. by Cl, Br or Me; R3 is H, Me or, for Y=Me, 2 - 5C carboxylate, and R2 and R3 together with C atoms linking them form a condensed benzene ring opt. substd. by MeO, EtO, Cl or Me) are prepd. by reacting cpds. (II) (where Hal is Cl or Br and R' is opt. substd. Ph), in solvents with metal cyanides, esp. CuCN or CuCN-forming cpds., to exchange Hal for CN, followed by decompsn. of reaction products to (I) and phosphine oxides.