Reaction of para-substituted aromatic acids with methyl thiocyanate in trifluoroacetic acid

We have investigated the reactions of aromatic carboxylic acids (p-XC₆H₄COOH, in which X=F, Cl, Br, I, NO₂, CH₃, H, OCH₃) with methyl thiocyanate in trifluoroacetic acid. It was shown that the starting acids are converted to S-methyl benzothioates p-XC₆H₄COSCH₃ (40–70%)] and the nitrile of the acid p-XC₆H₄CN (20–50%)]. In addition to starting acid, in the reaction mixtures products of the reaction of CF₃COOH with methyl thiocyanate were identified.Institute of Oil and Gas Problems, Russian Academy of Sciences, I. M. Gubkin State Academy of Oil and Gas, 117917 Moscow. Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk, Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 2, pp. 412–416, February, 1992.