title: Novel Photochemical Hydrolysis of o-Acetylphenylacetonitriles to Amides.
abstract: Irradiation of o-acetylphenylacetonitriles 1a,b in methanol (lambda >280 nm) leads to essentially quantitative photohydrolysis with formation of the corresponding ketal amides 3a,b. The mechanism proposed for this novel reaction is supported by the qualitatively different photochemical behavior of 1c and by a labeling experiment with 1a-L that confirms transfer of the carbonyl oxygen atom of 1a to the amide oxygen atom of 3a.
authors.affiliation: Laboratories of The Rockefeller University, New York, New York 10021-6399.
authors.forename: Qingyi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Pakorn
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bovonsombat
authors.forename: William C.
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Agosta