Amylocaine

Amylocaine was the first synthetic local anesthetic. It was synthesized and patented under the name Stovaine by Ernest Fourneau at the Pasteur Institute in 1903. It was used mostly in spinal anesthesia.

Synthesis

Amylocaine can be synthesized beginning with chloroacetone. Grignard reaction of chloroacetone with magnesium ethyl bromide gives 1-chloro-2-methyl-butan-2-ol. Heating with dimethylamine gives 1--2-methylbutan-2-ol. These two steps can also be treated as interchangeable. Esterification with benzoyl chloride completed the synthesis of amylocaine.