Diphenylacetonitrile


Diphenylacetonitrile is an organic compound with the formula. A colorless solid, it is widely used in the pharmaceutical industry.

Synthesis

In Hoch's original procedure, phenylacetonitrile was halogenated with molecular bromine to give bromobenzyl cyanide. This species was then reacted with benzene in the presence of aluminium trichloride to afford diphenylacetonitrile. This procedure has been optimized over the years.
An alternative route involves the reaction of bromodiphenylmethane with sodium cyanide under phase transfer conditions:

Applications