Dimethylaminomethyl acetate, a postulated intermediate in the Polonovski reaction, has been isolated for the first time in 80% yield from the reaction between trimethylamine N- oxide and one equivalent of acetic anhydride. With more acetic anhydride the dimethylaminomethyl ester gave N, N-dimethyl acetamide and two other products which have been identified as 2-(dimethylaminornethyl) acrylic acid and 2, 2-bis (acetoxymethyl) ...
