• An exceptionally mild method for dehydration of amides to nitriles by transamidation with acetonitrile in the presence of an aldehyde and formic acid is exemplified by the high yield conversion of benzamide to benzonitrile: J. Org. Chem., 61, 6486 (1996).
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Reduction with lithium aluminum hydride gives benzylamine. By using lithium tris(diethylamino)aluminum hydride (see Diethylamine, A11716), selective reduction to benzaldehyde is possible: Tetrahedron Lett., 32, 6903 (1991).