Formaldehyde → 2-Dimethylamino-1-phenyl-1-propanone hydrochloride

Participants

Reaction Steps

A mixture of acetophenone (100 g), paraformaldehyde (25 g) and dimethylamine hydrochloride (68 g) was vigorously stirred and pumped through the CMR (23 ml/min.; 180°-90° C.; 400 kPa). The product tended to crystallise rapidly when cooled, so was collected by passing the hot effluent into a flask which was cooled in ice-water. Analysis by 1H nmr indicated a 44% conversion of acetophenone to product, which was isolated in 29% yield. By conventional methodology8, a crude yield of 71% can be obtained after 2 hours at reflux followed by overnight refrigeration.

Provenance & Evidence