ChemInform Abstract: Novel Synthesis of N,N′-Dialkyl Cyclic Ureas Using Sulfur-Assisted Carbonylation and Oxidation

The first example of cyclic urea synthesis from secondary amines by the use of sulfur-assisted carbonylation and oxidation was established. By combined sulfur-assisted carbonylation of secondary α,ω-diamines under an ambient pressure of carbon monoxide at 20°C with oxidation by molecular oxygen (0.1 MPa, 20°C), a facile synthetic method for N,N′-dialkyl cyclic ureas including 1,3-dimethyl-2-imidazolidinone was developed. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heteroatom Chem 20:64–68, 2009; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/hc.20508