Dicyclomine, diethylaminoethyl ester of 1-cyclohexylcyclohexanecarboxylic acid (14.1.32), is synthesized in two different ways. According to the first, benzyl cyanide undergoes alkylation by 1,5-dibromopentane, which forms 1-cyano-1-phenyl-cyclohexane (14.1.29). This undergoes alcoholysis, which gives the ethyl ester of 1-phenyl-1-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid (14.1.30), which undergoes transesterification using 2-diethylaminoethanol in the presence of sodium as an alcoholic component, giving the 2-diethylaminoethyl ester of 1-phenylcyclohexanecarboxylic acid (14.1.31), the phenyl group of which is reduced to a cyclohexyl group using hydrogen over platinum oxide.
The second method for the synthesis of dicyclomine is started from cyanocyclohexane, which undergoes alkylation by cyclohexylbromide, forming 1-cyanobicyclohexane (14.1.33). This undergoes alcoholysis, forming the ethyl ester of 1-bicyclohexanecarboxylic acid (14.1.34), which undergoes transesterification by 2-diethylaminoethanol in the presence of sodium.
