Synthesis of N-methylphthalimide under microwave irradiation

N-Methylphthalimide was directly synthesized from phthalic anhydride and aqueous methylamine under microwave irradiation.The effects of microwave irradiation power,microwave irradiation time,and reactants ratio on the yield of N-methylphthalimide were studied.The results showed that the most suitable conditions for the reaction were as follows:the microwave irradiation power was 119 W,the radiation time was 4 min,the mass ratio between phthalic anhydride and ethanolamine was 1∶13,and the product yield could reach up to 87.0%.