Alpha-cyanoethylphthalate and preparation thereof

A method for preparing a solid stereo isomer mixture having meso and dl-isomers of crystalline alpha-cyanoethylphthalate which comprises:

• a. dissolving lactonitrile and an amine in a liquid organic solvent to form a first solution,
• b. dissolving a stoichiometric quantity of a phthalic acid halide compound in the same solvent to form a second solution,
• c. mixing the solutions at ambient conditions to form alpha-cyanoethylphthalate dissolved in the reaction mixture,
• d. precipitating the alpha-cyanoethylphthalate as a stereo isomer mixture by adding an organic precipitant liquid to the reaction mixture at a temperature whereby said mixture contains about 80% by weight of the predominant meso isomer and about 20% by weight of the dl-isomers, and
• separating the precipitated stereoisomer mixture from the reaction mixture.

A method for preparing a solid stereo isomer mixture having meso and dl-isomers of crystalline alpha-cyanoethylphthalate which comprises:

• a. dissolving lactonitrile and pyridine in a liquid organic solvent to form a first solution,
• b. dissolving a stoichiometric quantity of phthaloyl chloride in the same solvent to form a second solution,
• c. mixing the solutions at ambient conditions to form alpha-cyanoethylphthalate dissolved in the reaction mixture,
• d. washing the reaction mixture with a basic aqueous solution for renoval of contaminants,
• e. removing organic liquid solvent from the washed reaction mixture by evaporation at atmospheric pressure,
• f. precipitating the alpha-cyanoethylphthalate as a stereoisomer mixture by adding an organic precipitant liquid to the remaining reaction mixture at a temperature whereby said mixture contains about 80% by weight of the predominant meso isomer and about 20% by weight of the dl-isomers, and
• g. separating the precipitated stereoisomer mixture from the reaction mixture.