;\larch 196s Experimental Section4 The physical properties, yields, arid analyses are listed in Table I. 2-Carboxy-6,8-dichloro-~-chromone (I).-A mixture of 11.8 g (0.080 mole) of ethyl oxalate and 15.0 g (0.075 mole) of 3,sdic.hloro-2-hydroxyacetophenoiiej i r i 200 nil of aiihydroiis Et20 was added, over a period of 30 min, to a vigorously stirred srispeiibioii of XaOEt (13.6 g, 0.2 mole) in 100 nil of anhydrous Et&. The mixture was kept at 30-25" for 0.5 hr, heated under reflux for 2 hr, cooled, and filtered. The sodium salt was suspended in 360 ml of a mixtiire of AcOH-concentrated HC1 ( + j : land ) heated under reflux for 2 hr. The reaction mixt'ure was cooled aiid the insoluble solid was collected. Recryst'allizatioii from AcOH gave 10.5 g (56'5,) of white needles. Esters. General Method.-Coilcentrated H2S04 ( 2 ml) was added slowly to a snspensiori of I (2 g) in 20 ml of the appropriate alcohol. The mixture was refluxed for 4 hr. The ester, which precipitated on cooling, was collected and washed (NaHCOJ, ETp() ), 6,8.Dichloro-y-chromone-2-carbonylChloride (VII).--Tlie acid I was suspeiided i l l a mixture of 5 g of S0Clz and 6.0 1111 of I ,2-dichloroethaiie and heated with occasional shaking under reflux for i-8 hr. The hot mixture was filtered arid the residue was extracted twice with hot petroleum ether (SO-SO"). The filtrate and the ethereal extrack were pooled aiid evaporated in vacuo. The residue was recrystallized from petroleum ether; yield 240 mg (670) of pale yellow prisms.
2-(N,N-Diethylcarbonamide)-6,8-dichloro-y-chromone (VI).Diethylamine (0.,5 ml, excess) was added to a cold suspension of 140 mg of VI1 in 3 ml of anhydrous CcH,. The mixture was kept at room temperature for 30 miri and then refluxed for 30 min. The solvent was removed, and the residue was treated with H 2 0 , filtered, arid washed (HZO). The solid, recrystallized from EtOH, gave 100 mg (647,) of white needles.
Acknowledgment.-The author wishes to thank Professor Dr. Armando Novelli for his many helpful suggestions. This work was carried out with a grant from the C. K.I. C. y T. (4) .111 melting points were taken in capillaries and are uncorrected. \$-here analyses are indicated oniy by symbols of the elements, analytical results obtained for those elements mere within =t0.4YOof t h e theoretical values. ( 5 ) .I. R.Sen and P. 11.Uhargara, J . Indian Chem. Soe., 26, 366 (1949).
Experimentally- Induced Phenylketonuria. 111. Inhibitors of Phenylalanine Hydroxylase Related to Esculetin I. D E G R ~ M ~ I I CIEL H CORY,TIT. A. S I U N ~ E R , ~ I Y C. N THEISEN, ~ AND C ~ o z o MITOM&
JOSEPH
~
commu~iication.~The subject of this paper is a further investigation, both in vitro and in vivo, of hydroxylated coumarin compounds related to esculetin. We began our structure-activity investigation by preparing various 3- and 4-subst ituted G,'i-dihydrox)-coumarins. We found that, i 7 i vitro, the +methyl, 3ti-butyl, and &phenyl analogs were niore potent iiihibitors of phenylalanine hydroxylase than esculetin. The 4-ethyl-, ?+propyl-, and isopropyl-substituted compounds were about as active as esculetin, while the activity was considerably diminished for the :
