General procedure: In a Schlenk tube fitted with a PTFE vacuum stopper and a micro-stirring bar, a vacuum flame heating process was carried out followed by argon replacement of the tube atmosphere. Benzaldehyde (1 mmol) and tetrahydrofuran (1 mL) were added to the reaction tube, followed by the addition of N,N-dimethylcarbamoyl (trimethyl) silane (1.2 mmol). After sealing the reaction tube, the mixture was stirred continuously at 60°C until complete consumption of the carbamoylsilane was confirmed by thin layer chromatography (TLC) detection. Upon completion of the reaction, the volatiles were removed under vacuum. The product, 2-hydroxy-N,N-dimethyl-2-phenylacetamide, can be purified by one of the following methods: Kugelrohr distillation, recrystallization from anhydrous ethanol, or separation by column chromatography using a 30-50% light petroleum ether-ethyl acetate solvent mixture as eluent.
