Sodium cyanide in hexamethylphosphoric triamide selectively cleaves methyl esters in the presence of ethyl esters with yields of ca. 80%. The mechanism of the reaction has been investigated. It consists of nucleophilic displacement by cyanide of the carboxylate ion from the alcohol carbon atom (B Al 2 mechanism).
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Müller et al. (1974) studied this question.
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