Recent work in these laboratories with phenylacetonitrile, sodium and alkyl halides in liquid ammonia suggested that the reactions would be of value in synthesizing an homologous series of nitriles from which the corresponding acids could be prepared by hydrolysis. It was desired to obtain these acids in order to determine their relative bactericidal values, work to be reported elsewhere. Sodium ethylate, sodium hydroxide, sodamide, and sodium4 have ...
