English and Clapp3 have carried out a similar reaction with the same benzamide-derivative and diethyl a-cyanopimelate. We have studied the closely related reaction of N- hydroxymethyl phthalimide with cyanacetic acid, expecting to obtain a product from which P- alanine could be obtained by decarboxylation and hydrolysis.
![N-[(1,3-dioxoisoindol-2-yl)methyl]acetamide Structure](https://image.chemsrc.com/caspic/356/15059-09-3.png)
