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Org. Synth. 1960, 40, 103
DOI: 10.15227/orgsyn.040.0103
α,α,α-TRICHLOROACETANILIDE
[Acetanilide, α,α,α-trichloro-]
Submitted by Bernard Sukornick1
Checked by John D. Roberts and Eugene I. Snyder.
1. Procedure
Into a 1-l. three-necked flask, fitted with a mechanical stirrer, a reflux condenser, a thermometer (Note 1), and a dropping funnel, is placed a solution of 265 g. (1 mole) of hexachloroacetone (Note 2) in 400 ml. of hexane (Note 3). To the stirred solution is added, dropwise, 93 g. (1 mole) of aniline (Note 4) over a period of 35–40 minutes. During this time the temperature rises to about 55°. After the addition is complete, stirring is continued at 65–70° for 45 minutes.
The hot solution is poured into a 1-l. beaker and cooled to 0–5°. The solid is collected on a filter and air-dried; it weighs 208–218 g. (87–91%) and melts at 90–92°. One recrystallization from 400 ml. of 90% ethanol (Note 5) yields 160–165 g. (67–69%) (Note 6) of product melting at 92.5–93.0° (Note 7). A second crop of 9–16 g. (4–7%), m.p. 93.5–95.5°, can be obtained by concentrating the filtrate to 200 ml. and cooling (Note 8).
2. Notes
1. The thermometer and the reflux condenser are fitted to a two-necked adapter.
2. Commercial hexachloroacetone (Allied Chemical Corporation) was distilled and the fraction boiling at 93–97°/24 mm. was used.
3. Technical grade hexane suffices.
4. Technical grade aniline was purified by simple distillation and the light-yellow distillate was used directly.
5. The 90% ethanol was prepared by adding 22 ml. of water to 378 ml. of 95% ethanol.
6. The submitter reports a 76–81% yield of product melting at 94–96°.
7. The melting point is raised to 93.5–94.0° by carefully washing the product on a Büchner funnel with 50 ml. of iced 90% ethanol.
8. The submitter has applied this procedure successfully to several amines2 (see Table I).
TABLE I

Amine

Yield of N-Trichloroacetylamine, %

M.p., °C*


3-Chloroaniline

93

101

4-Chloroaniline

97

125–127

2-Toluidine

83

98

3-Toluidine

79

102–103

4-Toluidine

70

115

4-Fluoroaniline

83

96

Benzidine

65

301 (dec.)

Benzylamine

84

87–90

2-Phenylethylamine

97

117–120

Ammonia

96

141

Dimethylamine

89

b.p. 110–111°/16 mm.

2-Aminothiazole

80

196–198 (dec.)


*All melting points are uncorrected.

3. Discussion
Trichloroacetanilide has been prepared from hexachloroacetone and aniline,3 from trichloroacetyl chloride and aniline,4 by the action of aniline magnesium iodide on ethyl trichloroacetate,5 by heating N-phenyltrichloroacetimidyl chloride with dilute methanol,6 and from trichloroacetic acid and aniline in the presence of phosphorus oxychloride7 or dicyclohexylcarbodiimide,8 and from trichloroacetyl diethyl phosphonate and aniline.9

References and Notes
  1. Allied Chemical Corp., P.O. Box 405, Morristown, New Jersey.
  2. Unpublished results.
  3. Ch. Cloez, Ann. Chim. Phys., 9 (6), 204 (1886).
  4. W. E. Judson, Ber., 3, 783 (1870).
  5. F. Bodroux, Compt. Rend., 140, 1598 (1905).
  6. J. von Braun, F. Jostes, and R. W. Munch, Ann., 453. 133 (1927).
  7. F. A. Berti and L. M. Ziti, Arch. Pharm., 285, 372 (1952).
  8. A. Benzas, C. Egnell, and P. Freon, Compt. Rend., 252, 896 (1961).
  9. A. N. Pudovik, T. K. Gazizov, and A. P. Pashinkin, Ah. Obschch. Khim., 38, 12 (1968).

Appendix
Chemical Abstracts Nomenclature (Collective Index Number);
(Registry Number)

N-phenyltrichloroacetimidyl chloride

trichloroacetyl diethyl phosphonate

ethanol (64-17-5)

ammonia (7664-41-7)

methanol (67-56-1)

aniline (62-53-3)

Phosphorus Oxychloride (21295-50-1)

dimethylamine (124-40-3)

benzylamine (100-46-9)

benzidine (92-87-5)

trichloroacetic acid (76-03-9)

2-phenylethylamine (64-04-0)

4-Toluidine (106-49-0)

hexane (110-54-3)

ethyl trichloroacetate (515-84-4)

dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (538-75-0)

trichloroacetyl chloride (76-02-8)

α,α,α-Trichloroacetanilide,
Trichloroacetanilide,
Acetanilide, α,α,α-trichloro- (2563-97-5)

hexachloroacetone (116-16-5)

N-Trichloroacetylamine

3-Chloroaniline (108-42-9)

4-Chloroaniline (106-47-8)

2-Toluidine (95-53-4)

3-Toluidine (108-44-1)

4-Fluoroaniline (371-40-4)

2-Aminothiazole (96-50-4)

aniline magnesium iodide