Process for producing cyanoformate esters

摘要

Producing a 1-20C alkyl, aralkyl or aryl cyanoformate ester (I) comprises reacting a stoichiometric amount of a corresponding 1-20C alkyl, aralkyl or aryl haloformate and: (i) dimethyldicyanosilane or methyltricyanosilane in the presence of a catalytic amount of tertiary amine base; or (ii) a 1-6C alkylsilylnitrile in the presence of a catalytic amount of 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane, recovering the catalyst and product and recycling the catalyst and 1-6C alkylsilyl halide reaction by-product.