Microwave-assisted expeditious synthesis of 5-fluoroalkyl-3-(aryl/alkyl)-oxazolidin-2-ones

An efficient and convenient protocol for synthesis of 5-fluoroalkyl-3-(aryl/alkyl)-oxazolidin-2-ones is described. The reaction of allyl (aryl/alkyl) carbamates with fluoroalkyl iodide initiated by sodium dithionite in aqueous acetonitrile resulted in adducts that undergoes a cyclization assisted by microwave irradiation to form 5-fluoroalkyl-3-(aryl/alkyl)-oxazolidin-2-ones with high yields. It was also found that the products can be more efficiently formed via an AIBN-initiated one-pot addition-cyclization sequence from benzyl allyl(aryl/alkyl) carbamates and fluoroalkyl iodide.