Organic Process Research & Development
TECHNICAL NOTE
open capillary tube using a B€uchi B-540 melting point instrument
and were uncorrected. The IR spectra were obtained on a Nicolet
380 FT-IR instrument (neat for liquids and as KBr pellets for
solids). NMR spectra were recorded with a Varian 300 MHz
Mercury Plus spectrometer at 300 MHz (1H) and at 75 MHz
(13C). Chemical shifts were given in ppm relative to trimethylsi-
lane (TMS). Mass spectra were recorded on Waters quattro
premier XE triple quadrupole spectrometer using either electron
spray ionisation (ESI) or atmospheric pressure chemical ioniza-
tion (APCI) technique.
3-Chloro-1-phenylmethylamino-2-hydroxypropane (4b). A
250-L glass-lined reactor was charged with demineralized water
(150 L) and benzylamine 2b (10 kg, 93.33 mol). To this stirred
solution was added epichlorohydrin 3 (10 kg, 108.08 mol) over a
period of 1 h, maintaining the batch temperature <5 °C. After the
addition, the mixture was agitated for an additional 10-12 h at 0-
5°C and then sampled for HPLC analysis. HPLC typically indicated
less than 2.0 area % of 2b remaining in the reaction mixture. At this
point the obtained white solids were filtered, and the wet cake was
washed with additional demineralized water (25 L) followed by
n-heptane (50 L). The wet cake was dried under vacuum at <45 °C
(LOD = 0.5%) to give 3-chloro-1-phenylmethylamino-2-hydroxy
propane 4b as a white crystalline solid in 75% yield (14 kg) with an
HPLC purity of 98.2 area %. Mp 72-73 °C; 1H NMR (CDCl3):
δ 2.56-2.7 (m, 2H), 3.5-3.6 (m, 2H), 3.62-3.7 (m, 1H), 3.72-
3.88 (m, 3H), 5.2 (br s, 1H), 7.2-7.4 (m, 5H). 13C NMR (CDCl3):
δ 47.4, 51.5, 53.5, 69.3, 127.2, 128.1, 128.4, 139.1. IR (KBr): 3290,
2900, 1449, 1340, 1254, 1073, 882 cm-1. ESI-MS m/z: 199.8
[Mþ þ 1].
(90 L), followed by water (10 L), and was charged with 5% Pd/C
(0.5 kg) and H2 (50 psi). After 24 h at room temperature, the
reaction was complete. The catalyst was filtered off, and the
filtrate was concentrated to an oily solid. The crude product was
slurried in ethyl acetate (25 L) overnight and then filtered to give
azetidin-3-ol hydrochloride (5) as a white crystalline solid in 90%
yield over two steps, 6.07 kg, with an HPLC purity of 99.3 area %.
Mp 86-88 °C; 1H NMR (DMSO-d6): δ 3.7 (m, 2H), 4.0 (m,
2H), 4.5 (m, 1H), 6.2 (br s, 1H, D2O exchangable), 9.1 (br s, 2H,
D2O exchangable); 13C NMR (100 MHz, CDCl3): δ 55.0, 61.3;
ESI-MS: m/z 74.1 [Mþ þ 1].
1-Benzylazetidin-3-yl Methanesulfonate Hydrochloride
(8). To a solution of 1-benzylazetidne-3-ol 1b (100 g, 0.613
mol) in dichloromethane (1 L) was added triethylamine (86.7 g,
0.858 mol) at <5 °C under nitrogen atmosphere. Methanesulfo-
nyl chloride (82 g, 0.713 mol) was added slowly at <5 °C over a
period of 1 h, and the reaction mixture was maintained another
1 h at the same temperature (<5 °C) and then sampled for HPLC
analysis. HPLC typically indicated less than 2.0 area % of 1b
remaining in the reaction mixture. The temperature of reaction
mixture was raised to room temperature, the inorganic salts were
filtered, and the wet cake was washed with dichloromethane (150
mL). Dry HCl gas was slowly purged from the filtrate at <5 °C
from pH 1.0 up to pH 2.0. The reaction mixture was maintained
for an additional 1 h at the same temperature. The resulted solids
were filtered, and the wet cake was washed with dichloromethane
(200 mL) and dried at <60 °C under vacuum to give 1-benzy-
lazetidin-3-yl methane sulfonate hydrochloride (8) as a white
crystalline solid in 66% yield, 112 g, with an HPLC purity of 98
1
area %. Mp 137-138 °C; H NMR (CD3OD): δ 2.8 (s, 3H),
1-Benzylazetidne-3-ol (1b). A 250-L glass-lined reactor was
purged with nitrogen and charged with acetonitrile (170 L) and
3-chloro-1-phenylmethylamino-2-hydroxy propane 4b (14 kg,
70.11 mol). To this stirred solution was added sodium bicarbonate
(14.7 kg, 175 mol) at <30 °C. The temperature of the reaction
mixture was raised to reflux, stirred for 5-7 h, and then sampled
for HPLC analysis. HPLC indicated less than 2.0 area % of 4b
remaining in the reaction mixture. The temperature of reaction
mixture was cooled to room temperature, the inorganic salts were
filtered, and the wet cake was washed with acetonitrile (30 L).
The majority of the organic volatiles (acetonitrile) from the filtrate
were removed by distillation at <50 °C under reduced pressure
(80-100 Torr), giving crude compound 1b. n-Heptane (2 ꢀ
100 L) was added to the crude 1b and codistilled at <50 °C under
reduced pressure (80-100 Torr). The resulted residue was
triturated with n-heptane (28 L) and stirred for 2 h at 25 °C.
The obtained solids were filtered, the wet cake was washed with
n-heptnae (10 L) and dried under vacuum at <45 °C to give
1-benzylazetidne-3-ol 1b as a white crystalline solid in 88% yield
(10.07 kg) with an HPLC purity of 94.98 area %. Mp 64-65 °C;
1H NMR (CDCl3): δ 3.0 (m, 2H), 3.54-3.60 (m, 2H), 3.62-
6.64 (m, 2H), 3.7-4.0 (br s 1H), 4.4 (m, 1H), 7.23-7.33 (m,
5H). 13C NMR (CDCl3): δ 61.1, 63.1, 63.4, 127.1, 127.6, 128.0,
128.1, 128.3, 136.8. IR (KBr): 3387, 2838, 1493, 1451, 1341, 1176,
1082, 743 cm-1. ESI-MS m/z: 164.1 [Mþ þ 1].
3.54-3.7 (m, 3H), 3.8 (m, 1H), 4.4 (d, 1H), 4.55-4.6 (d, 1H),
4.82 (m, 1H), 7.48 (m, 5H). IR (KBr): 2975, 2676, 2491, 1350,
1172 cm-1. MS m/z: 242 [Mþ þ 1].
Di(3-chloro-2-hydroxypropyl)benzylamine (Bis Impurity,
6b). To a stirred mixture of benzylamine (10 g, 0.09 mol) in
water (50 mL) was added epichlorohydrin (20.0 g, 0.19 mol) at
<5 °C over a period of 1 h, and then the temperature of the
reaction mixture was allowed to reach room temperature. The
reaction mixture was stirred for an additional 24 h at the same
temperature. After completion of the reaction (by TLC), solids
were filtered and purified by column chromatography eluting
with ethyl acetate/hexane (1:9) to give 6b as a white solid in 60%
yield, 9.0 g. Mp 93-95 °C; 1H NMR (CDCl3): δ 2.7-2.9 (m,
4H), 3.3-3.5 (m, 6H), 3.7-3.8 (m, 2H), 3.85-4.0 (m, 2H),
7.2-7.4 (m, 5H); 13C NMR (CDCl3): δ 30.9, 47.3, 57.8, 58.4,
60.1, 60.2, 68.4, 69.1, 127.7, 128.6, 129.0, 129.1, 137.5; IR (KBr):
ν 3261, 2955, 1452, 1090, 746, 703 cm-1; ESI-MS: m/z 292
[Mþ þ 1].
’ ASSOCIATED CONTENT
S
Supporting Information. Characterization data of com-
b
pound 4b, 1b, 5, 6b, 8 and HPLC chromatogram of 4b, 1b, 5, and
8. This material is available free of charge via the Internet at
Azetidin-3-ol Hydrochloride (5). A 250-L glass-lined reactor
was charged with dichloromethane (100 L) and 1-benzylaze-
tidne-3-ol 1b (10 kg, 61.3 mol). From this stirred solution was
purged HCl gas over a period of 30 min. The precipitated solids
were filtered, and the wet cake was washed with excess of dichloro-
methane. The wet solid was dried at <45 °C and gave 11.4 kg of
the hydrochloride salt of 1b. In a 200-L, hydrogenation reactor,
the hydrochloride salt of 1b (11.4 kg) was diluted with ethanol
’ AUTHOR INFORMATION
Corresponding Author
*E-mail: madhusudhan.gutta@inogent.com and alternate e-mail:
madhusudhan.gutta@yahoo.com. Fax: þ91-40 2715 1270. Tele-
phone: þ91-09849559259.
465
dx.doi.org/10.1021/op100247m |Org. Process Res. Dev. 2011, 15, 462–466