Water → phenyl(pyrrolidin-2-yl)methanol

Participants

Reaction Conditions

Reaction Steps

65.6 g of 5-benzoyl-2-pyrrolidone prepared as indicated in above part (a) are added in small fractions, under a nitrogen atmosphere, to a suspension of 26.4 g of lithium aluminium hydride in 4 liters of anhydrous tetrahydrofuran. The mixture is then refluxed with stirring for 2 hours. It is then cooled to 0° C. and then are slowly added 30.5 ml of water, then 11 ml of a 10 N solution of sodium hydroxide and finally 110 ml of water. After having stirred for 2 hours at the ambient temperature, the precipitate formed is separated by filtration. The filtrate obtained is dried over magnesium sulfate and the solvent is distilled under reduced pressure. 53 g of α-phenyl-2-pyrrolidine methanol are obtained. These 53 g are recrystallized from 580 ml of isopropyl ether. 36 g of α-phenyl-2-pyrrolidine methanol (erythro) melting at 110° C. are thus obtained.

Provenance & Evidence