Nicotinic acid (10 g., 0.081 mole) (Note 1) and anhydrous benzene (275 ml.) (Note 2) are placed in a 500-ml. three-necked, round-bottomed flask (Note 3) fitted with a sealed Hershberg stirrer, a dropping funnel with a pressure-equalizing tube, and a stillhead connected to a condenser. In order to remove traces of moisture introduced with the nicotinic acid the mixture is heated until about 75 ml. of benzene has distilled. The stillhead is replaced by a Claisen head fitted with a thermometer and a calcium chloride tube, and the mixture is cooled to 5° by stirring in an ice bath. To the cold suspension of nicotinic acid is added all at once 8.65 g. (0.086 mole, 5% excess) of triethylamine (Note 4). The resulting clear solution is stirred with continued cooling while 34 g. of a 12.5% solution of phosgene (0.043 mole, 5% excess) in benzene (Note 5) is added through the dropping funnel. The rate of addition is regulated so that the temperature of the reaction mixture does not exceed 7°. Triethylamine hydrochloride precipitates immediately. After the addition of phosgene the mixture is stirred at room temperature for 45 minutes, heated to the boiling point, and filtered under slightly reduced pressure (Note 6) while hot. The triethylamine hydrochloride cake (Note 7) is washed on the filter with three 25-ml. portions of warm benzene (60°). The combined filtrate and washes are transferred to a 500-ml. round-bottomed flask and evaporated to dryness on a rotary evaporator at low temperature and pressure. The dry residue is simmered with 75 ml. of anhydrous benzene (Note 2), and the mixture is filtered while hot. The triethylamine hydrochloride cake (Note 7) is washed with two 5-ml. portions of cold benzene, and the filtrate and washes are allowed to stand at 20° for 2–3 hours. The crystalline product is collected on a filter, washed with two 4-ml. portions of cold anhydrous benzene, and dried in a vacuum. The yield of nicotinic anhydride, m.p. 122–125° (Note 8), is 6.25 g. (68%). The combined filtrate and washes are evaporated to dryness on a rotary evaporator. The residue is simmered with 175 ml. of a mixture of benzene and cyclohexane (2:3) (Note 2), and a small amount of insoluble material is removed by filtration of the hot mixture (Note 6). The filtrate is stored at 5° for 18 hours (Note 9); the crystalline deposit is collected, washed with 3 ml. of cold benzene-cyclohexane mixture, and dried in a vacuum. An additional 2.4 g. (25%) of colorless product, m.p. 122–123°, is thus obtained. The total yield of nicotinic anhydride is 8.05–8.65 g. (87–93%).