To an ice bath cooled stirred suspension of methyl 3-amino-3-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)propionate hydrochloride (0.689 grams, 2.50 mmol) and triethylamine (0.7 milliliters, 5 mmol) in 15 milliliters of tetrahydrofuran was added 0.3 milliliters of benzoyl chloride (2.6 mmol). The cooling bath was removed after 15 minutes and the mixture stirred for an additional 45 minutes. The reaction mixture was then diluted with 15 milliliters of brine and 15 milliliters of water and then partially concentrated in vacuo to remove the tetrahydrofuran. The reaction slurry was filtered, the solid air-dried, then dried in vacuo (60° C., <1 mm) to afford 0.86 g (100%) of the product as a white powder: 1H NMR (dmso-d6, 250 MHz) δ 8.84 (d, J=8.3 Hz, 1 H, NH), 7.83 (m, 2 H, Ar), 7.60-7.35 (m, 3 H, Ar), 7.06 (s, 1 H, Ar), 6.90 (m, 2 H, Ar), 5.50-5.30 (m, 1 H, CHN), 3.75 (s, 3 H, OCH3), 3.72 (s, 3 H, OCH3), 3.46 (s, 3 H, CO2CH3), 3.05-2.75 (m, 2 H, CH2); 13C NMR (dmso-d6) δ 170.8, 165.6, 148.6, 147.9, 134.9, 134.5, 131.2, 128.3, 127.3, 118.5, 111.6, 110.6, 55.5, 55.5, 51.4, 49.7, 40.6. Anal. Calcd for C19H21NO5. Theoretical C, 66.46; H, 6.16; N, 4.08. Found C, 66.22; H, 6.05; N, 3.98.
