Synlett 2008(5): 679-682  
DOI: 10.1055/s-2008-1032109
LETTER
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

A Novel Protocol for Selective Construction of Morpholin-2-one and Morpholin-3-one Heterocycles from Aminoethanol with Divinyl Fumarate

Qing-Yi Zhang, Jian-Ming Xu, Wan-Qin Chen, Qi Wu, Xian-Fu Lin*
Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, P. R. of China
Fax: +86(571)87952618; e-Mail: llc123@zju.edu.cn;
Further Information

Publication History

Received 24 November 2007
Publication Date:
26 February 2008 (online)

Abstract

A simple and efficient method for selective construction of morphlin-2-one and morphlin-3-one heterocyclic derivatives has been developed from N-substituted aminoethanols and divinyl fumarate. The selectivity of this catalyst-free reaction was easily controlled by different solvents.

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Supplementary information can be obtained from the corresponding author upon request.

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Typical Procedure for the Synthesis of Morpholin-3-one
Benzylethanolamine (0.75 g, 0.05 mol) was dissolved in MTBE and the divinyl fumarate (1.68 g, 0.1 mol) was added. The reaction mixture stirred at 50 °C and monitored by TLC. Upon completion of the reaction, the combined solvents were removed under reduced pressure to give a yellow oil which was purified by column chromatography (hexane-EtOAc = 3:1) to give the product. 1H NMR (500 MHz, CDCl3): δ = 7.26-7.36 (m, 6 H), 4.89 (dd, 1 H, J = 1.50, 12.40 Hz), 4.76 (d, 1 H, J = 14.65 Hz), 4.56 (m, overlapped, 2 H), 4.50 (d, 1 H, J = 14.65 Hz), 3.99 (m, 1 H), 3.79 (m, overlapped, 1 H), 3.52 (d, 1 H, J = 4.25 Hz), 3.12 (m, 2 H), 3.02 (m, 1 H) ppm. 13C NMR (125 MHz, CDCl3): δ = 168.05, 168.02, 141.34, 136.31, 129.03, 128.51, 128.02, 98.30, 74.38, 63.42, 50.20, 46.08, 37.35 ppm. IR (neat): 1751 (C=O), 1647 (C=C) cm-1. ESI-MS: m/z = 275.8 [M + H]+. HRMS: m/z calculated for C15H17NO4: 275.1158; found: 275.1154.