Potassium Carbonate → methyl [N-(2-cyanophenyl)amino]acetate

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Reaction Steps

A mixture of 2.2 g of 2-cyanoaniline, 2.0 g of methyl bromoacetate and 1.3 g of potassium carbonate in 12 ml of dry N,N-dimethylformamide is heated at 150°-155° C. for 40 minutes. The cooled mixture is poured into ice-water and the mixture filtered to give 2 g of methyl [N-(2-cyanophenyl)amino]acetate as a yellow solid, m.p. 70°-78° C. The preceding compound (2.0 g) is added to a solution of 0.5 g of sodium methoxide in 50 ml of methanol. The mixture is shaken under an atmosphere of hydrogen with the catalyst Raney-Ni for 19 hours. The mixture is filtered through diatomaceous earth and the filtrate evaporated. Water is added to the residue and the mixture filtered to give 2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-1,4-benzodiazepin-3-one as a yellow solid, m.p. 167°-170° C.

Provenance & Evidence