Abstract
4-Pyridoxyacetic acid, a substance to be used in a study on plant growth substances, cannot be obtained by reacting 4-hydroxypyridine with chloroacetic acid or ethyl diazoacetate, only the N-(4-pyridonyl) acetate or its ester being formed. The desired compound was synthesized from 4-hydroxypyridine 1-oxide by converting the N-oxide with chloroacetic acid into N-(4-pyridonyl) oxyacetic acid and by heating this acid with a solution of ethyl diazoacetate in petroleum ether. Discussion is made on the mechanism of this process by other routes used for its preparation.
