Laboratory-Scale Synthesis of Nitriles by Catalysed Dehydration of Amides and Oximes under Flash Vacuum Pyrolysis (FVP) Conditions

Abstract

Dehydration of amides and oximes can be catalysed by 3 Å molecular sieves or by tungsten trioxide under flash vacuum pyrolysis (FVP) conditions. This provides a convenient synthesis of aliphatic, aromatic, and heterocyclic nitriles, generally in excellent yields under mild, neutral, and short contact time conditions.

Key words

gas-phase reaction - amides - oximes - nitriles - hetero­geneous catalysis

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