In a round-bottom flask, a slurry of benzyl (3R)-3-[({[3-(trifluoromethyl)benzoyl]amino}acetyl)amino]-1,3′-bipyrrolidine-1′-carboxylate (0.765 g, 1.48 mmol) and Palladium (10%) on Carbon (0.200 g) in methanol (10 mL) was purged with hydrogen gas for 2 min.; the reaction was then subjected to 1 atm of hydrogen gas for 3 h. The flask was purged with Argon, then the mixture was filtered and concentrated to afford N-{2-[(3R)-1,3′-bipyrrolidin-3-ylamino]-2-oxoethyl}-3-(trifluoromethyl)benzamide (0.551 g, 97%) as an off-white solid. 1H-NMR (CDCl3) δ: 1.32-1.53 (m, 2H), 1.52-2.04 (m, 6H), 2.15-2.40 (m, 2H), 2.40-2.70 (m, 3H), 2.80-3.00 (m, 3H), 4.00-4.20 (m, 2H), 4.42 (bs, 1H), 6.77 (m, 1H), 7.40-7.55 (m, 1H), 7.53 (t, J=7.8 Hz, 1H), 7.73 (d, J=7.2 Hz, 1H), 7.98 (d, J=7.5 Hz, 1H), 8.08 (s, 1H). MS m/z: 399 (M+1).
