Phenaglycodol (brand names Acalmid, Acalo, Alterton, Atadiol, Felixyn, Neotran, Pausital, Remin, Sedapsin, Sinforil, Stesil, Ultran) is a drug described as a tranquilizer or sedative which has anxiolytic and anticonvulsant properties. It is related pharmacologically to meprobamate, though it is not a carbamate.
p-Chloroacetophenone and potassium cyanide (KCN) are reacted together via a Strecker reaction to give the corresponding cyanohydrin (3). The cyano group is then hydrated in acid to the corresponding amide, p-chloroatrolactamide (4). The amide group is then further hydrolyzed with a second equivalent of water in concentrated lye to give p-chloroatrolactic acid (5). Esterification then provides ethyl p-chloroatrolactate (6). Finally, nucleophilic addition with methylmagnesium iodide give phenaglycodol (7) crystals.
In a second method, a mixed pinacol coupling reaction between para-chloroacetophenone and acetone that was catalyzed by magnesium activated with a small amount of trimethylsilyl chloride gave a 40% yield of phenglycodol.