Hydrochloric Acid → N-methyl-2-(2-methylphenyl)-2-oxoacetamide

Participants

Reaction Steps

The crude 2-(2-methylphenyl)glyoxyloyl chloride (0.91 g, 5 mmol) were dissolved in dry THF (10 ml), and a 40% solution (1.55 g) of methylamine (20 mmol) in methanol was added thereto, followed by stirring at room temperature for 1 hour. After completion of the reaction, water (100 ml) was added to the reaction mixture which was then adjusted to below pH 2 by addition of conc. HCl and extracted with ethyl acetate (100 ml). The extract was dried over anhydrous magnesium sulfate and concentrated under reduced pressure. The residue was purified by silica gel chromatography (ethyl acetate/n-hexane) to give N-methyl-2-(2-methylphenyl)-2-oxoacetamide (0.45 g; yield, 50.8%) as a colorless oil.

Provenance & Evidence