Since basic alkyl esters of diphenyl-and diphenylhydroxyacetic acids are highly active antispasmodics, it was decided to prepare basic esters of phenylsubstituted lactic and acrylic acids. cr-Methyl-P, P-diphenyllactic acid (mp 167-168.5') was obtained by reaction between diphenylpyruvic acid3 and methylmagnesium iodide. An acid, mp 167') was obtained by Bardon and Ramart4 by hydrolysis of the ester5 formed by the interaction of ...