Ethyl iodide Ethotoin

One of the earliest preparations of this ring system starts with displacement of the hydroxyl of benzaldehyde cyanohydrin (125) by urea. Treatment of the product (126) with hydrochloric acid leads to addition of the remaining urea nitrogen to the nitrile. There is thus obtained, after hydrolysis of the imine (127), the hydantoin (128). Alkylation by means of ethyl iodide affords ethotoin (129)... 

Benzaldehyde cyanohydrin is reacted with urea to displace the hydroxyl group of the cyanohydrin. That intermediate is treated with HCI to convert the urea nitrogen to a nitrile. The resultant imine is hydrolyzed to the phenylhydantoin. Alkylation with ethyl iodide gives ethotoin, as described by A. Pinner in Chem. Ber. 21, 2325 (1888). 

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