Benzyl Bromide → 2-Pyrrolidinone, 5-(1-methylethoxy)-1-(phenylmethyl)-, (+-)-

Participants

Reaction Steps

To a suspension of 2.5 g of 5-isopropoxy-pyrrolidin-2-one, 1.23 g of potassium hydroxide hydrated to 85%, and 0.25 g of n-tetra-butylammonium bromide in 50 cm3 of tetrahydrofuran, there is added a solution of 2.99 g of benzyl bromide, without exceeding 30° C. After agitating for 1 hour at ambient temperature, the insoluble matter is filtered off and the solvent is evaporated. The residue (4 g) is distilled at 200° C. under 0.05 mbar. The distillate is chromatographed on silica (eluent: ethyl acetate--n-hexane, 1--1). 2.9 g of the expected product is obtained.

Provenance & Evidence