Aminomethylation of salicylic acid was carried out by heating together N, N'-methylenebisacetamide and phosphoryl chloride affording 5-aminomethylsalicylic acid. For the identification of this product, 5- and 3-aminomethylsalicylic acid were synthesized by another route using 5- and 3-formylsalicylic acid as starting materials.
