Water → 2-(2-Morpholin-4-yl-2-oxo-ethyl)-2-(3-phenyl-propyl)-malonic acid monoethyl ester

To a solution of 2-(2-morpholin-4-yl-2-oxo-ethyl)-2-(3-phenyl-propyl)-malonic acid diethyl ester (934 mg, 2.3 mmol) in a 2:1 mixture of ethanol and water (12 ml) LiOH.H2O (193.3 mg, 4.61 mmol) was added and heated at 40° C. for 19 hrs. Ethanol was evaporated under reduced pressure, the residual aqueous mixture was acidified to pH 1 and extracted with methylene chloride (2×40 ml). The organic extract was dried with MgSO4 and evaporated under reduced pressure to give 2-(2-morpholin-4-yl-2-oxo-ethyl)-2-(3-phenyl-propyl)-malonic acid monoethyl ester as a thick, yellow oil (831 mg); 1H NMR (CDCl3) 7.4–7.1 (m, 6H), 4.25 (q, J=7.1 Hz, 2H), 3.8–3.4 (m, 8H), 3.20 (d, J=16.4 Hz, 1H), 2.9 (d, J=16.4 Hz, 1H), 2.6 (m, 2H), 2.1–1.8 (m, 4H), 1.25 (t, J=7.1 Hz, 3H). MS: 378 (MH+).