Abstract
In the preparation of the insect repellent DEET, lab procedures prepare the intermediate m-toluoyl chloride by heating m-toluic acid with thionyl chloride for times ranging from 15 to 45 minutes. The acid chloride is then worked up under Schotten-Baumann conditions to yield DEET. In our students' hands, these procedures gave a darkly colored product which was contaminated with an anhydride by-product. We have shown that the m-toluoyl chloride can be prepared at room temperature in 8 minutes and that the eventual DEET product is obtained in excellent yield without the dark coloration or anhydride by-product.
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