Ammonia → Diazepam

Participants

Reaction Conditions

Reaction Steps

A mixture of ethanol (600 ml) and hexamethylenetetramine (39.1 g., 0.279 mol) was stirred and saturated with ammonia. With ammonia bubbling into the mixture it was slowly heated to reflux. Over a period of 41/2 hours, 2-(2-chloro-N-methylacetamido)-5-chlorobenzophenone (40 g., 0.124 mol) was added in increments yielding ##STR6## which was not isolated. Refluxing was continued for 2 hours longer. The reaction mixture was then distilled to dryness in vacuo at 50° C. The residue was stirred with toluene (250 ml), heated to reflux and heated with two increments of para-toluene sulfonic acid. Reflux was continued for one hour. After cooling to 70° C., the toluene was washed with hot water to remove soluble salts and distilled to dryness in vacuo. The residue was dissolved in hot ethanol (111 mol) and the solution cooled at -10° C. for one hour. The crystalline 7-chloro-1,3-dihydro-1-methyl-5-phenyl-2H-1,4-benzodiazepin-2-one obtained was isolated and weighed 29 g., melting point 129° to 131° C. Concentration of the mother liquor by ca. 50% gave a second crop weighing 2.0 g. melting at 127° C.

Provenance & Evidence