Anomalous Reaction of Arylmalononitriles with Nitric Acid. Para-Directing Nature of Dicyanomethyl Group and a Through-Ring Nitro/aci-Nitro Tautomerism of 4-Nitrophenylmalononitrile

Article abstract of DOI:10.1246/bcsj.61.501

Phenylmalononitrile reacts with nitric acid in dichloromethane at room temperature to afford 1,2-bis(4-nitrophenyl)-1,1,2,2-tetracyanoethane as an initial product, which readily suffers oxidative cleavage to give 4-nitrobenzoyl cyanide.Contrary to common