Abstract
The reaction of substituted phenyl isocyanates with 2‐amino‐2‐phenylpropanenitrile and 2‐amino‐2‐(4‐nitrophenyl)propanenitrile has been used to prepare substituted 1‐(1‐cyanoethyl‐1‐phenyl)‐3‐phenylureas. In anhydrous phosphoric acid the first products to be formed from 1‐(1‐cyanoethyl‐1‐phenyl)‐3‐phenylureas are phosphates of 4‐methyl‐4‐phenyl‐2‐phenylimino‐5‐imino‐4,5‐dihydro‐1,3‐oxazoles, which on subsequent hydrolysis give the respective ureidocarboxylic acids. On prolongation of the reaction time, the phosphates of 4‐methyl‐4‐phenyl‐2‐phenylimino‐5‐imino‐4,5‐dihydro‐1,3‐oxazoles rearrange to give phosphates of 5‐methyl‐4‐imino‐3,5‐diphenylimidazolidin‐2‐ones, and these are subsequently hydrolysed to the respective substituted 5‐methyl‐3,5‐diphenylimidazolidin‐2,4‐diones. The ureidocarboxylic acids were also prepared by alkaline hydrolysis of 5‐methyl‐3,5‐diphenylimidazolidin‐2,4‐diones. The 5‐methyl‐3,5‐diphenylimidazolidin‐2,4‐diones and ureidocarboxylic acids were characterised by their ^1^H and ^13^C NMR spectra. Structure of the 5‐methyl‐5‐(4‐nitrophenyl)‐3‐phenylimidazolidine‐2,4‐dione was verified by X‐ray diffraction. The alkaline hydrolysis of individual imidazolidine‐2,4‐diones was studies spectrophoto‐metrically in sodium hydroxide solutions at 25 °C. The rate‐limiting step of the base catalysed hydrolysis consists in decomposition of the tetrahedral intermediate. The reaction is faster if electron‐acceptor sub‐stituents are present in the 3‐phenyl group of imidazolidine‐2,4‐dione cycle. The pK~a~ values of individual 5‐methyl‐3,5‐diphenylimidazolidine‐2,4‐diones have been determined kinetically.