FI45655B

The invention comprises compounds of the general formula in which each of R and R1 is H or a C1- 5 alkyl substituent or together represent a single methylene substituent and X is a halogen. Alpha - methyl - alpha chloro - beta - (3,4 substituted phenyl) proprionitriles claimed per se are the 3-methoxy, 4-hydroxy; 3,4-dimethoxy; and the 3,4-methylene dioxy compound. The compounds are prepared by reacting the appropriately substituted 3,4 benzene diazonium halide with methacrylonitrile. There is also described a method of obtaining the alpha-amino proprionitriles by reacting the halo compound with ammonia. By hydrolysing the a amino a methyl-b -(3,4-disubstituted phenyl) propionitrile with, for example, hydrochloric acid the a -methyl-3,4-dihydroxyphenyl alanine may be obtained.