Patent ID: 7629474

Claim:
A process for the preparation of 2-oxo-1-pyrrolidine derivatives of general formula (I), and salts thereof, wherein: R 1 is R a or R b ; R 3 and R 4 are the same or different and each is, independently, hydrogen, hydroxy, thiol, halogen, cyano, carboxy, sulfonic acid, R a , R b , alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, alkylsulfinyl, arylsulfinyl, alkylthio, arylthio, alkoxy, aryloxy, sulfonamide, acyl, ester, amido, acyloxy, esteroxy or amidooxy; X is —CONR 5 R 6 , —COOR 7 or —CN; R 5 , R 6 , R 7 are the same or different, and each is, independently, hydrogen, R a or R b ; R a is C1-20 alkyl or C1-20 alkyl substituted by one or more hydroxy, thiol, halogen, cyano, carboxy, sulfonic acid, R b , alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, alkylsulfinyl, arylsulfinyl, alkylthio, arylthio, alkoxy, aryloxy, sulfonamide, acyl, ester, amido, acyloxy, esteroxy and/or amidooxy; R b is aryl, heteroaryl, heterocycloalkyl or the same substituted by one or more R a , hydroxy, thiol, halogen, cyano, carboxy, sulfonic acid, aryl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, alkylsulfinyl, arylsulfinyl, alkylthio, arylthio, alkoxy, aryloxy, sulfonamide, heterocycloalkyl, heteroaryl, acyl, ester, amido, acyloxy, esteroxy and/or amidooxy; comprising the reaction of a furan derivative of formula (II) or (III) wherein R 2 and R 2 ′ are the same or different and each is C1-10 alkyl or the same substituted by aryl, with a compound of formula (IV) and with H 2 in the presence of catalyst.