Hydrochloric Acid → Methyl 2-phenylethanimidate--hydrogen chloride (1/1)

Participants

Reaction Steps

The same equipment as described in Example 3 was used. Benzyl cyanide (38.0 grams; 0.325 mole) was mixed with absolute methanol (10.3 grams; 0.322 mole) and toluene (195 ml). With cooling and agitation HCl gas (16 grams; 0.44 mole) was introduced from a weighed cylinder and the mixture was maintained under the same conditions overnight (26 hours). The resulting white slurry was filtered cold and the solid methyl phenylacetimidate hydrochloride (52.8 grams; 88.4% yield) was collected and a portion of it used directly in the next step.

Provenance & Evidence