Patent ID: 8703987

Claim:
A method of preparing 2-methoxyisobutylisonitrile comprising the steps of: (a) converting 2,2-dimethyloxirane to 2-methoxyisobutanol, (b) converting 2-methoxyisobutanol to 2-methoxyisobutylamine; (c) converting the 2-methoxyisobutylamine of step (b) to a compound of the formula where X is halogen, and (d) converting the compound of formula (4) to 2-methoxyisobutylisonitrile, wherein step (a) comprises adding 2,2-dimethyloxirane to a solution of acid in methanol, and step (b) comprises: (1) reacting 2-methoxyisobutanol with (1) triphenylphosphine, (2) phthalimide, and (3) diethylazodicarboxylate (DEAD) or diisopropylazodicarboxylate (DIAD), to form a compound having the formula (2) reacting the product of step (1) without purification with hydrazine to form 2-methoxyisobutylamine.