Mechanism of the acid hydrolysis of aromatic o-carboxyamides and relative imides

The kinetics of N-phenylphthalamic acid and of N-phenylphthalimide hydrolysis in aqueous solutions of sulfuric acid has been studied. A reaction mechanism is proposed implying that unreactive forms of the reactant appear by protonization of the amide bond at the carbonyl oxygen and by dissociation of the o-carboxyl group (N-phenylphthalamic acid). Attack of the nonprotonized amide bond by the hydroxonium ion is suggested to be the rate-limiting step.