Potassium Carbonate → (s)-Methyl 2-oxooxazolidine-4-carboxylate

Participants

Reaction Steps

To (S)-serine methyl ester hydrochloride (20 g, 128.64 mmol) in water (230 ml) was added KHCO3 (14.16 g, 141.52 mmol) and K2CO3 (19.56 g, 141.52 mmol) at room temperature. It was then cooled by an ice bath and triphosgene (19.04 gm, 64.32 mmol) was added in toluene (192 ml) via an addition funnel over 25 minutes. The reaction mixture turned cloudy. After 2 h, reaction phases were separated and the aqueous layer was lyophilized to yield (S)-4-carbomethoxy-2-oxazolidinone as a white solid (16.5 g) in 88% yield.

Provenance & Evidence