Direct conversion of a carboxylic acid to nitrile

04 June 2004

Although there volatile nitriles can be prepared directly from carboxylic acids (by heating the acid with isophthalonitrile and distilling the nitrile directly out of the reaction mixture, J. Org. Chem., 1958, 23, 1350) milder methods for non-volatile are few and far between. The peptide coupling agent propanephosphonic acid cyclic anhydride (T3P*, sold by Clariant) can be used to convert carboxylic acids to nitriles in the presence of ammonium chloride and triethylamine at 45°C. T3P can also be used to dehydrate amides to nitriles.

Speciality Chemicals Magazine, March 2004, pages 30-31 and references contained therein.

*note T3P is a registered trademark of Clariant