o-Xylyl bromide → N-(2-methylbenzyl)4-piperidone

To a suspension of 2.00 g of 4-piperidone monohydrate hydrochloride and 5.40 g of potassium carbonate in 30 ml of CH3CN was added dropwise 1.57 ml of 2-methyl benzyl bromide at 0° C. After stirred at 0° C. or 3.5 h, the mixture was stirred at room temperature for an hour. At 0° C., the mixture was quenched with water and extracted with CHCl3. The organic layer was washed with water, aqueous NaOH, and brine, and dried over anhydrous Na2SO4. The organic solvent was evaporated to give the crude product of 2.52 g of N-(2-methylbenzyl)-4-piperidone as a yellow oil.