Hydrochloric Acid → cis 4-Fluoromethyl-3-amino-2-oxo-azetidine hydrochloride

14 ml of a solution of 1 ml of hydrazine hydrate in 50 ml of dioxane were added to a suspension of 1.24 g of the product of Step D in 1.2 ml of dioxane and the mixture was stirred at room temperature for 45 minutes and 5 ml of N hydrochloric acid were added thereto. The mixture was stirred for 15 hours and was evaporated to dryness. The residue was added to water and 2.3 ml of N hydrochloric acid with stirring and the mixture was filtered. Ethanol was added to the filtrate and the mixture was evaporated to dryness. Methanol was added to the residue followed by ethanol addition and the mixture was evaporated to dryness. The product was crystallized from methanol to obtain 0.391 g of cis 4-fluoromethyl-3-amino-2-oxo-azetidine hydrochloride melting at ≃220° C. (decomposition).