A mixture of 5 -cyanomethyl-6-methyl-4-(3-nitrophenyl)-2-phenylpyrimidine (5 g), conc. sulfuric acid (12 g) and ethanol (50 ml) was gently refluxed for 72 hours. The reaction mixture was poured into a suspension of chloroform (200 ml) and water (100 ml), and then adjusted to pH 8.5 with 10% aqueous sodium carbonate solution. The separated organic layer was washed with saturated aqueous sodium chloride solution, dried over magnesium sulfate and evaporated in vacuo. The residual substance was recrystallized from diethyl ether-n-hexane to give ethyl 6-methyl-4-(3-nitrophenyl)-2-phenyl-5-pyrimidinylacetate (3.7 g).
