1 g 0 1 mole l cysteine were added the reaction mixture was heated for 5 hours under reflux at the boiling point while gently passing nitrogen through then all volatile components of the reaction mixture were evaporated under reduced pressure the remaining oil was taken up in 10 ml water and acidified with concentrated hydrochloric acid to ph 3 as the mixture was cooled down to 0 c sodium chloride precipitated which was filtered off 11 5 g 71 of theory product crystallized out of the filtrate as colorless needles with a melting point of 108 u00b0 110 u00b0 c 12 1 g 0 1 mole l cysteine 6 9 g 0 1 mole butyronitrile and 6 9 g 0 05 mole potassium carbonate were heated in 150 ml methanol and 80 ml water for 12 hours to a boil while passing nitrogen through then all volatile components of the reaction mixture were evaporated under reduced pressure the residue was adjusted with concentrated hydrochloric acid to ph 4 and digested with 100 ml acetone as a result the potassium chloride which had formed precipitated after removal by suction the filtrate was condensed by evaporation in a vacuum the residue taken up in 100 ml water and extracted three times with 50 ml dichloromethane per extraction in order to remove excess organic components the aqueous phase was condensed by evaporation under reduced pressure 11 5 g 60 of theory product were obtained as bright yellow oil decomposition occurred during an attempt to purify the oil by distillation attempts at crystallization.