Abstract The specific synthetic route to synthesize the actarit (4-acetyl-amino phenylacetic acid) by acylation was designed in which p-amino benzaldehyde (a) and nitromethane (b) was used as the raw materials, through Knoevenagel reaction. The selective reduction of potassium borohydride and p-amino phenylacetic acid to be oxidated under the acidic conditions. After optimization of the synthetic conditions, the yield of each step was more ...