Oxygen → Zaleplon

Participants

Reaction Steps

WO O2/100828 A2 discloses a further improvement in the '538 process by reacting the same intermediates, N-[3-[3-(dimethylamino)-1-oxo-2-propenyl]phenyl]-N-ethylacetamide and 3-amino-4-cyanopyrazole, in a liquid medium of water and a water-miscible organic compound under acidic conditions. Although the reaction is claimed to proceed through an imine intermediate that was prone to precipitate from water, the imine intermediate remained dissolved in the reaction media. It is stated in the '828 patent that the process proceeds rapidly at ambient temperature to produce zaleplon with a 91-97% yield having a purity ranging from 98.7 to 99.5% according the HPLC analysis. The method minimized the formation of a regioisomer by-product, N-[3-(3-cyanopyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidin-5-yl)phenyl]-N-ethylacetamide which is favored under excess acid conditions.

Provenance & Evidence