In the presence of alkoxide, resorcinol, methyl and nitro substituted resorcinol give C-polycyanoethyl-substituted products. When the 2-, 4- and 6-positions were occupied the O-cyanoethylation could occur. In the reaction of 2-nitroresorcinol with ethyl acrylate two β-carbethoxyethyl groups are introduced in a similar way to the 4-and 6-positions. The carbethoxyethylation products of resorcinol and 2-methylresorcinol lose ethyl alcohol during distillation giving the corresponding lactones.

Key words: POLYHYDRIC PHENOL, CYANIDATION, ETHYLATION, ETHYLATION, CARBETHOXY GROUP