Ultrasound Methodology for the Synthesis of 2-(4-nitrophenyl)-phenylacetonitrile with Phase-Transfer Catalysis Condition ? A Kinetic Study

A single-site phase-transfer catalyst viz. , Benzyltriethylammonium chloride (BTEAC) containing the catalytic efficiency of BTEAC was ascertained by comparing with another single-site phase-transfer catalyst viz. , tetraethylammonium chloride (TEAC) with ultrasonic irradiation (40 kHz, 300W) performed. The pseudo-first-order kinetic equation was applied to describe the overall reaction under ultrasound irradiation (40kHz, 300W) in a batch reactor, the yield of product 2- (4-nitrophenyl) -2-phenyl acetonitrile in the organic phase was 98.6 % in 30 min at 65oC and 600 rpm with the observed kapp value (TEAC kapp = 5.12 x 10-3, min-1) almost five fold lesser than Benzyltriethylamminoum chloride BTEAC) (kapp = 26.72 x 10-3, min-1) along with ultrasound irradiation (40kHz, 300W). The present study provides a method to synthesize 2- (4-nitrophenyl) -2-phenyl acetonitrile by ultrasound-assisted liquid-liquid phase transfer catalysis.