Reactions of 3-(p-substituted-phenyl)-5-chloromethyl-1,2,4-oxadiazoles with KCN leading to acetonitriles and alkanes via a non-reductive decyanation pathway

The present work describes an unfamiliar reaction of 5-(chloromethyl)-3-substituted-phenyl-1,2,4-oxadiazoles with KCN affording trisubstituted 1,2,4-oxadiazol-5-ylacetonitriles and their parent alkanes, namely, 1,2,3-trisubstituted-1,2,4-oxadiazol-5-ylpropanes. To the best of our knowledge, the current synthetic route leading to decyanated products will be the first in terms of a decyanation process which allows the transformation of trisubstituted acetonitriles into alkanes by the incorporation of KCN with the association of in situ-formed HCN and most likely through the extrusion of cyanogen which could not be detected or isolated. In addition, the plausible mechanisms were proposed for both transformations. The structures of the title compounds were identified by means of IR, (1)H NMR, (13)C NMR, 2D NMR spectra, TOF–MS and X-ray measurements.