Pyridine → (Phenylmethoxy)carbamic acid 2,2,2-trichloroethyl ester

Under anhydrous conditions, 50 g of O-benzylhydroxylamine hydrochloride is suspended in 783 ml of acetonitrile. To the suspension is added 50.6 ml of pyridine followed by dropwise addition of 43.15 ml trichloroethyl chloroformate in 235 ml of acetonitrile. The reaction is allowed to stir overnight at room temperature. The mixture is concentrated in vacuo and diluted with ethyl acetate. The organic layer is washed with 0.5M citric acid,water, saturated sodium bicarbonate, saturated sodium chloride, dried and concentrated in vacuo. The residue is purified by Kugelrohr distillation (bp 150° C. at 0.5 mm g.) to give 70 g of the desired product.