Phenylacetic acid, attempted

In its report for 2003 on the implementation of article 12, 4 the Board urged Governments of countries in South and South-East Asia to be vigilant concerning phenylacetic acid. With more effective controls over ephedrine and pseudoephedrine, traffickers were attempting to divert other chemicals for use in illicit manufacture, P-2-P and phenylacetic acid being the chemicals of choice. 

Phenylacetic acid derivatives and related agents were introduced fairly recently. Those used therapeutically include diclofenac, ketorolac and tolmetin. They are reasonably well tolerated in use against skeletal muscle and joint pain. Diclofenac is sometimes used (by injection) for preoperative medication. Also, it is available in a preparation combined with a prostaglandin in an attempt to counteract its ulcerogenic effects (see ANTIULCEROGENIC AGENTS). 

Several attempts have been made to define <7 values for reactions in which only field effects could be important. These have involved the ionization of phenylacetic acids to generate a series of acetic acids to generate cti values/ or other reactions in which resonance was considered unimportant to generate tr" values. ... 

Azacoumarins, e.g., 41, represent possible intermediates to the phenyl-substituted pyrano[2,3-b]pyridines. Thus, Perkin reaction of the acetylpyridone 15 with phenylacetic acids formed azacoumarins in fairly good yields. Attempts to reduce the carbonyl function of the lactone ring to the methylene function were unsuccessful. Nevertheless, the imidazolinones 42 derived from these azacoumarins were synthesized. 

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