Patent ID: 7521552

Claim:
A process for the preparation of a substituted amino alcohol of the formula HO—(CH 2 ) n —NR 1 R 2 wherein R 1 and R 2 are each independently H or C 1 -C 3 alkyl; or R 1 and R 2 when optionally taken together with the nitrogen atom to which each is attached form a 4 to 6 membered saturated heterocyclic ring having 1-2 nitrogen atoms and 0-1 oxygen atoms or 0-1 sulfur atoms, and optionally substituted with R 3 ; n is an integer of 2 to 7; R 3 is C 1 -C 3 alkyl; comprising the reaction of a haloalcohol of the formula HO—(CH 2 ) n —X, where X is Cl, Br or I, with an amine HNR 1 R 2 and an iodide source catalyst, in water as solvent at a temperature range of about 20° C. to about 90° C. followed by adding alkali metal carbonate before reducing the solvent volume and isolating the substituted amino alcohol.