2-Chloropyridine → (S)-N-(2-pyridyl)-1-amino-2-propanol

(S)-1-amino-2-propanol (43 g, 0.57M) was added to a stirred solution of potassium tertiary butoxide (64.2 g, 0.66M) in tetrahydrofuran (500 ml). 2-Chloropyridine (65.1 g 0.66M) was then added dropwise. After the exothermic reaction had subsided, the reaction was heated under reflux overnight, filtered to remove the potassium chloride and evaporated to an oil. The crude oil was dissolved in xylene (500 ml) and toluene-p-sulphonic acid (2 g) added and heated overnight under reflux under argon. After cooling to room temperature, the mixture was extracted with 2M hydrochloric acid. The acid extracts were basified with 2M sodium hydroxide and extracted into ethyl acetate. The ethyl acetate extracts were dried (MgSO4) and after removal of the acetic acid the product was distilled affording 73.5 g of the title compound, bp 100°-110° C. at 0.2 mbar.