Oxidative nucleophilic substitution of hydrogen in nitrobenzene with 2-phenylpropionitrile carbanion and potassium permanganate oxidant

Abstract

The carbanion of 2-phenylpropionitrile adds to nitrobenzene in the p-position in liquid ammonia to give the relative stable σ^H-adduct which is oxidised with KMnO₄ to 2-phenyl-2-(4-nitrophenyl)propionitrile; the relationships of rates of various reactions in these systems are estimated.