Combine 3-(phenylmethyl)-3-(2-hydroxyethyl)pyrrolidine (3.94 mmol) and sodium carbonate (0.21 g, 2.00 mmol) in 1/1 ethyl acetate/water (50 mL). Cool the reaction mixture to 0° C. with an ice bath. Add 3,4,5-trimethoxybenzoyl chloride (0.83 g, 3.58 mmol). Warm to ambient temperature. After 18 hours, separate the layers and extract the aqueous layer three times with ethyl acetate. Dry the combined organic layers over Na2SO4, filter, and concentrate in vacuo to obtain a residue. Chromatograph the residue on silica gel eluting with ethyl acetate to give the title compound: Rf=0.09 (silica gel, ethyl acetate).
