Ammonia → 2-[(Cyclopropylmethyl)amino]ethan-1-ol

Participants

Reaction Steps

A solution of ethyl [(cyclopropylmethyl)amino](oxo)acetate (5.9 g, 34.6 mmol) in tetrahydrofuran (30 ml) was added at ambient temperature to a mixture of borane-tetrahydrofuran complex (130 ml of a 1.0 N solution in THF, 130 mmol) and chlorotrimethylsilane (34 ml, 268 mmol). The reaction mixture was stirred at ambient temperature for 48 hours. Methanol (20 ml) was added and the reaction stirred for a further 30 minutes before dilution with dichloromethane followed by addition of a concentrated solution of hydrochloric acid (4 ml). The mixture was stirred for 30 minutes, basified with methanolic ammonia (7 N) and the resultant solid filtered and washed with dichloromethane. The organic phases were recovered, concentrated and purified by chromatography on silica gel. Elution with dichloromethane followed by increased polarity to dichloromethane:methanol (95:5), dichloromethane:methanolic ammonia (9:1) yielded 2-((cyclopropylmethyl)amino)ethanol as a pale yellow liquid (2.99 g, 75% yield):

Provenance & Evidence