High purity 2-naphthylacetonitrile and method for producing same

The present invention provides high purity 2-naphthylacetonitrile with fewer impurities that is useful as a starting material or intermediate for the synthesis of various pharmaceutical products, agricultural chemicals, and chemical products, and a production method thereof. A high purity 2-naphthylacetonitrile having an HPLC purity of 2-naphthylacetonitrile of not less than 95 area %, and containing naphthalene compounds represented by the formulas (a)-(j) at a content of a predetermined area % or below. A method for producing high purity 2-naphthylacetonitrile, including the following step 1 and step 2: step 1: a step of subjecting 2′-acetonaphthone to a Willgerodt reaction in the presence of an additive where necessary, and hydrolyzing the obtained amide compound to give 2-naphthylacetic acid; step 2: a step of reacting the 2-naphthylacetic acid obtained in step 1, a halogenating agent and sulfamide in the presence of a catalyst as necessary in an organic solvent to give 2-naphthylacetonitrile.