The alkaline hydrolysis of bis (nitromethyl) prehnitene (1) with aqueous sodium hydroxide gave almost quantitatively disodium tetramethylphthalate (11). Under milder conditions the sodium salts of tetramethylphthalimide (8), N-hydroxytetramethylphthalimide (10), and 2- hydroxy-3-hydroxyimino-4, 5, 6, 7-tetramethylphthalimide (9) were fo were formed, probably as intermediate products of the above reaction. But, pentamethylphenylnitromethane (14) ...
