Hydrocyanation of activated olefins.

摘要

Nitriles are prepared by contacting an activated olefin, with gaseous hydrogen cyanide in the presence of a catalyst containing an element selected from the group consisting of Group IA and IIA. In this way for example high yields of cyanoesters may be obtained by contacting alpha, beta-unsaturated alkyl acrylates, such as methyl acrylate with gaseous hydrogen cyanide in the presence of a catalyst containing an alkali metal.