To a solution of 12.60 g (51.38 mmol) of 2-(1,3-dioxo-1,3-dihydro-isoindol-2-yl)-acrylic acid methyl ester (described in Synthetic Communications, 33(8), 1375-1382; 2003) dissolved in 170 mL of acetonitrile was added at room temperature 42.60 g (308.28 mmol) of potassium carbonate and 9.05 g (56.52 mmol) of (2-amino-ethyl)-carbamic acid tert-butyl ester. The resulting mixture was stirred at room temperature for 12 h. 300 mL of dichloromethane was added and the mixture was filtered and the solid obtained was triturated with dichloromethane, filtered, and the resulting filtrates were evaporated to dryness. The residue was dissolved in diethyl ether, washed with a saturated aqueous solution of sodium hydrogen carbonate, saturated aqueous solution of sodium chloride, dried over sodium sulfate and evaporated to dryness. The residue was chromatographed on silica gel eluting with a mixture of chloroform/methanol/aqueous ammonia solution (29%) in the proportions 98/2/0.2 led to afford 6.50 g (31%) of the desired compound.
