4-Chlorotoluene → 1-(4-Methylphenyl)pyrrolidin-2-one

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Reaction Conditions

Reaction Steps

An oven-dried resealable Schlenk tube was charged with CuI (20 mg, 0.105 mmol, 5.1 mol %), K2CO3 (600 mg, 4.34 mmol), evacuated and backfilled with argon. trans-1,2-Cyclohexanediamine (26 μL, 0.217 mmol, 11 mol %), 2-pyrrolidinone (155 μL, 2.04 mmol) and 4-chlorotoluene (1.0 mL, 8.44 mmol) were added under argon. The Schlenk tube was sealed and the reaction mixture was stirred magnetically at 140° C. for 42 h. The resulting suspension was cooled to room temperature and filtered through a 0.5×1 cm pad of silica gel eluting with 10 mL of ethyl acetate. The filtrate was concentrated and the residue was purified by flash chromatography on silica gel (2×20 cm; hexane-ethyl acetate 3:7; 20 mL fractions). Fractions 10-20 provided 223 mg (62% yield) of the product as white crystals. The 1H NMR spectrum was in accord with that reported by Boeyens et al. Billing, D. G.; Boeyens, J. C. A.; Denner, L.; Du Plooy, K. E.; Long, G. C.; Michael, J. P. Acta Cryst. (B) 1991, B47, 284.

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