Recent work in these laboratories with phenylacetonitrile, sodium and alkyl halides in liquid ammonia suggested that the reactions would be of value in synthesizing an homologous series of nitriles from which the corresponding acids could be prepared by hydrolysis. It was desired to obtain these acids in order to determine their relative bactericidal values, work to be reported elsewhere.Sodium ethylate,1 sodium hydroxide,2 sodamide,3 and sodium4 have been used to prepare the alkali salt of phenylacetonitrile as a preliminary step in the formation of substituted nitriles. Phenylacetonitrile in excess, methyl alcohol, toluene and anhydrous ether have been used as reacting media. Attempts by Bodroux and Taboury to prepare di-alkyl derivatives by treating the parent nitrile with two moles of sodamide and alkyl

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