Preparation of 1-Anthroyl Nitrile as a strong Fluorophore for pre-column labeling of Hydroxysteroids

The preparation of 1-anthroyl nitrile as a useful labeling reagent for derivatization of hydroxysteroids is reported. This compound was prepared by some modifications in the literature procedure including the usage of copper cyanide instead of the expensive trimethylsilyl cyanide for conversion of 1-anthroyl chloride to 1-anthroyl nitrile and conducting the conversion of anthracene-1-carboxylic acid to 1-anthroyl chloride at 40°C instead of 110°C to avoid the formation of impurities. Derivatization of cortisol and prednisolone by 1-anthroyl nitrile resulted in effective separation of these compounds by HPLC with a detection limit of about 20 pg.