Ammonium Hydroxide → 1-Pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidin-7-yl-cyclopropanecarboxylic acid methyl ester

A solution of 1-(4-chloro-pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidin-7-yl)-cyclopropanecarboxylic acid methyl ester (Preparation 245, 920 mg, 3.65 mmol) in ethanol (20 mL) was degassed with argon for 15 min. Ammonium hydroxide (4 mL) and 10% palladium on charcoal were added and the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature under hydrogen (balloon pressure) for 5 hours. The reaction mixture was filtered on a celite bed, washed with ethanol (2×10 mL) and the filtrate was evaporated in vacuo. The crude material was purified by column chromatography on silica gel (gradient of DCM:methanol 100:0 to 98:2) to afford the title compound as a gum in 59% yield, 470 mg.