Condensation of ammonium ion with acetone

Recrystallization of ammonium anthranilate or ammonium salicylate from acetone-hexane results in conversion of the ammonium salts to diacetoneammonium salts. The reaction is general for the ammonium salts of amino- and hydroxy-substituted benzoic acids, all of which are converted at least in part to diacetoneammonium salts when treated with acetone. Under similar conditions ammonium benzoate is converted to the triacetoneammonium salt. These reactions constitute convenient laboratory procedures for the preparation of diacetoneammonium and triacetoneammonium salts, and explain the frequent incursion of diacetoneamine and triacetoneamine as artifacts when natural systems are extracted with acetone.