2-Benzimidazolecarbamic acid esters by the cyanamide process

A process for making 2-benzimidazolecarbamic acid, alkyl esters by reacting cyanamide or a cyanamide salt with an alkyl chloroformate in a weakly acidic to basic medium at a temperature between 0 DEG and 105 DEG C. to form an alkyl cyanocarbamate salt; then reacting the alkyl cyanocarbamate salt with an o-phenylenediamine in an acidic medium at a temperature between 40 DEG and 130 DEG C. to form the desired product and recovering it from the reaction mixture.