528,915. Amidines. SOC. OF CHEMICAL INDUSTRY IN BASLE. May 8, 1939, Nos. 13684 and 13685. Convention dates, May 11, 1938, and April 15, 1939. [Class 2 (iii)] Amidines are prepared by reacting an aliphatic amino acid having an aromatic or heterocyclic residue as a substituent at the nitrogen atom, or an imido-ether, imido halide, or thioamide of such an acid, with ammonia or a primary or secondary aliphatic, araliphatic, or heterocyclic amine. The compounds comprise the structure where A is an amino alkyl residue containing an aromatic or heterocyclic residue as a substituent on the nitrogen atom. The products may be open chain or cyclic compounds. In the latter case both amidine nitrogen atoms are united by an alkylene chain as in an imidazoline or tetrahydropyrimidine ring. Amines mentioned include saturated or unsaturated alkylamihes, alkylene diamines, aralkyl amines, heterocyclic amines such as aminopyridines, aminoquinolines or aminobenzthiazoles, and cyclicamines such as piperidine. In examples: (1) phenylaminoacetimido-ethyl ether hydrochloride is 'treated with ammonia in alcohol solution to give phenylaminoacetamidine. The phenyl group may be substituted for instance by an alkyl-, alkoxy-, oxy-, aryloxy-, amino-, nitro-, or carboxyl-group. Similarly there may be obtained α-phenylamino-n-caprylic acid amidine, the γ-phenylamino-butyramidine, or the #-phenylamino-n-caproic acid amidine; (2) phenylaminoacetimidoethyl-ether is reacted with piperidine in alcohol solution to give phenylaminoacetpiperidine. Instead of the ethyl ether, the propyl ether may be used. (3) Phenylaminoacetimidoethyl-ether is reacted with #-phenylethylamine in alcoholic solution to give phenylaminoacet-#-phenylethylamidine. (4) Phenylaminoacetimidoethyl-ether hydrochloride is reacted with ethylenediamine in alcohol solution to give 2-(phenylaminomethyl)- imidazoline hydrochloride. Instead of ethylenediamine there may be used 1:2 or 1:3-propylenediamine to give a corresponding product: (5) Phenylaminothioacetamide and ethylenediamine are heated together in an oil bath to give phenylamino-methyl-tetrahydropyrimidine. In similar manner a number of similar compounds may be obtained which are specified. The imino-ethers which are used as parent materials for the process of the invention may be obtained easily when the condensation of the alcohol with the nitrile in the presence of an acid such as hydrochloric acid is conducted in chloroform solution. 6-Methoxy-quinolyl-8-aminoacetonitrile and 6-methoxy-quinolyl - 8 - amino - y - butyronitrile may be prepared by the reaction of 6-methoxy- 8-aminoquinoline with chloroacetonitrile and #-chloro-butyronitrile respectively. 4-Methoxyphenylaminoacetonitrile may be obtained from para-anisidine-formaldehyde bisulphate and potassium cyanide in aqueous solution.