To a mixture of 120 g. (118.5 ml., 1 mole) of acetophenone (Note 1), 123 g. (109 ml., 1 mole) of ethyl chloroacetate, and 200 ml. of dry benzene in a 1-l. three-necked round-bottomed flask, fitted with a stirrer and low-temperature thermometer, is added, over a period of 2 hours, 47.2 g. (1.2 moles) of finely pulverized sodium amide. The temperature is kept at 15–20° by external cooling (Note 2). After the addition has been completed, the mixture is stirred for 2 hours at room temperature, and the reddish mixture is poured upon 700 g. of cracked ice, with hand stirring. The organic layer is separated and the aqueous layer extracted once with 200 ml. of benzene. The combined benzene solutions are washed with three 300-ml. portions of water, the last one containing 10 ml. of acetic acid. The benzene solution is dried over 25 g. of anhydrous sodium sulfate, filtered, the drying agent rinsed with a little dry benzene, and, after removal of the solvent, the residue is fractionated under reduced pressure, using a modified Claisen flask. The fraction boiling at 107–113°/3 mm. is collected separately and used for the preparation of hydratropaldehyde (p. 733). Redistillation yields a product which boils at 111–114°/3 mm. (Note 3). The yield is 128–132 g. (62–64%) (Note 4).