In a
2-l. round-bottomed flask fitted with a
mechanical stirrer and surrounded by an
ice-salt bath is placed
215 g. (1.75 moles) of ethyl chloroacetate (Note
1). Vigorous stirring is started, and to the cold ester (Note
2)
200 cc. of chilled aqueous ammonia (sp. gr. 0.9) is added. The solution is stirred in the cold for about fifteen minutes; then another
200-cc. portion of aqueous ammonia is added, and the stirring is continued for about fifteen minutes. The mixture is then allowed to stand for thirty minutes, filtered with suction, and washed with two
25-cc. portions of cold water to remove ammonium chloride. The yield of air-dried material melting at
118–119° (Note
3) is
128–138 g. (
78–84 per cent of the theoretical amount).
This product contains traces of
ammonium chloride which may be removed by crystallization from water. When
100 g. of crude product is recrystallized from 400 cc. of water, about
80 g. of product is obtained. The recrystallized product melts at
119–120°.