Skip to Content
Merck
All Photos(1)

Key Documents

E18859

Sigma-Aldrich

Ethyl cyanoformate

99%

Synonym(s):

2-Ethoxy-2-oxoacetonitrile, Cyanocarbonyloxyethane, Cyanoformic acid ethyl ester, Ethoxycarbonyl cyanide, Ethyl carbonocyanidate

Sign Into View Organizational & Contract Pricing


About This Item

Linear Formula:
NCCO2C2H5
CAS Number:
Molecular Weight:
99.09
Beilstein:
635955
EC Number:
MDL number:
UNSPSC Code:
12352100
PubChem Substance ID:
NACRES:
NA.22

Quality Level

Assay

99%

form

liquid

refractive index

n20/D 1.381 (lit.)

bp

115-116 °C (lit.)

density

1.003 g/mL at 25 °C (lit.)

SMILES string

CCOC(=O)C#N

InChI

1S/C4H5NO2/c1-2-7-4(6)3-5/h2H2,1H3

InChI key

MSMGXWFHBSCQFB-UHFFFAOYSA-N

Looking for similar products? Visit Product Comparison Guide

Application

Ethyl cyanoformate can be used as a cyanide source for the cyanation of:
  • Activated olefins in the presence of a titanium catalyst.
  • Carbonyl compounds catalyzed by 4-dimethylaminopyridine (DMAP) to yield corresponding cyanohydrin carbonates under metal-free and solvent-free conditions.
  • Aldehydes and 2,2,2-trifluoroacetophenone catalyzed by N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) to yield corresponding cyanohydrins ethyl carbonates.

Ethyl cyanoformate is a general cyanating agent. It can be used in the nucleophilic addition of cyanide to carbonyl compounds, oxidative cyanation of tertiary amines and in the synthesis of β-cyano-substituted acrylates from alkynes.

Pictograms

FlameCorrosion

Signal Word

Danger

Hazard Statements

Hazard Classifications

Eye Dam. 1 - Flam. Liq. 3 - Skin Corr. 1B

Storage Class Code

3 - Flammable liquids

WGK

WGK 3

Flash Point(F)

75.2 °F - closed cup

Flash Point(C)

24 °C - closed cup

Personal Protective Equipment

dust mask type N95 (US), Eyeshields, Gloves

Choose from one of the most recent versions:

Certificates of Analysis (COA)

Lot/Batch Number

Don't see the Right Version?

If you require a particular version, you can look up a specific certificate by the Lot or Batch number.

Already Own This Product?

Find documentation for the products that you have recently purchased in the Document Library.

Visit the Document Library

Oxidative Cyanation of Tertiary Amines with Ethyl Cyanoformate over a Niobia?Supported Iron?Exchanged Molybdophosphoric Acid Catalyst.
Rao K T V, et al.
ChemCatChem, 4(8), 1173-1178 (2012)
Asymmetric cyanation of activated olefins with ethyl cyanoformate catalyzed by a modular titanium catalyst.
Wang J, et al.
Organic Letters, 12(6), 1280-1283 (2010)
N-heterocyclic carbene catalyzed cyanation reaction of carbonyl compounds with ethyl cyanoformate and acetyl cyanide
Zhang J, et al.
Tetrahedron Letters, 52(52), 7153-7156 (2011)
Enantioselective cyanoethoxycarbonylation of isatins promoted by a Lewis base?Br?nsted acid cooperative catalyst.
Ogura Y, et al.
Angewandte Chemie (International Edition in English), 52(32), 8299-8303 (2013)
DMAP-catalyzed cyanation of aldehydes and ketones with ethyl cyanoformate.
Aoki S, et al.
Tetrahedron Letters, 51(27), 3547-3549 (2010)

Our team of scientists has experience in all areas of research including Life Science, Material Science, Chemical Synthesis, Chromatography, Analytical and many others.

Contact Technical Service