Patent ID: 8779198

Claim:
A process of opening the ring of a ring-containing compound which comprises reacting a ring-containing compound possessing at least one lactone ring with at least one amine in the presence of at least one monocarboxylic acid in the amount of from 0.5 equivalents to 1.5 equivalents to the molar amount of said ring-containing compound, without the presence of a metal salt catalyst, and under conditions sufficient to open the at least one ring and provide ring-opened reaction product, wherein the ring containing compound possessing the at least one lactone ring is selected from the group consisting of γ-decanolactone, β-butyrolactone, δ-decanolactone, β-propiolactone, D -glucono-δ-lactone, ε-caprolactone, δ-caprolactone, γ-butyrolactone, γ-caprolactone, 4R,4aS,7R,7aR)-4-((R)-2,2-dimethyl-1,3-dioxolan-4-yl)-7-methoxy-2,2-dimethyldihydro-4H-furo[3,2-d][1,3]dioxin-6(4aH)-one, (3aR,6R,6aR)-6-((tert-butyldimethylsilyloxy)methyl)-2,2-dimethyldihydrofuro[3,4-d][1,3]-dioxol-4(3aH)-one, (3aR,4S,5R,6aS)-4-((tert-butyldimethylsilyloxy)methyl)-5-((tetrahydro-2H-pyran-2-yloxy)methyl)hexahydro-2H-cyclopenta[b]furan-2-one, and 1,1-dimethylethyl[(1S,3S)-3-[[4-methoxy-3-(3-methoxypropoxy)phenyl]methyl]-4-methyl-1-[(2S,4S)-tetrahydro-4-(1-methylethyl)-5-oxo-2-furanyl]pentyl]carbamate wherein the at least one amine is of the formula H 2 N—R wherein R is lower alkyl, cycloalkyl, free or aliphatically esterified or etherified hydroxy-lower alkyl; amino-lower alkyl that is unsubstituted or N-lower alkanoylated or N-mono- or N,N-di-lower alkylated or N,N-disubstituted by lower alkylene, by hydroxy-, lower alkoxy- or lower alkanoyloxy-lower alkylene, by unsubstituted or N′-lower alkanoylated or N′-lower alkylated aza-lower alkylene, by oxa-lower alkylene or by optionally S-oxidised thia-lower alkylene; free or esterified or amidated carboxy-lower alkyl, free or esterified or amidated dicarboxy-lower alkyl, free or esterified or amidated carboxy-(hydroxy)-lower alkyl, free or esterified or amidated carboxycycloalkyl-lower alkyl, cyano-lower alkyl, lower alkanesulfonyl-lower alkyl, unsubstituted or N-mono- or N,N-di-lower alkylated thiocarbamoyl-lower alkyl, unsubstituted or N-mono- or N,N-di-lower alkylated sulfamoyl-lower alkyl, or a heteroaryl radical bonded via a carbon atom and optionally hydrogenated and/or oxo-substituted, or lower alkyl substituted by a heteroaryl radical bonded via a carbon atom and optionally hydrogenated and/or oxo-substituted, or the group —CH 2 C(CH 3 )C(═O)NH 2 or a salt thereof; and wherein the at least one monocarboxylic acid is of the general formula RCOOH wherein R is alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, aryl, substituted aryl or aralkyl of up to 30 carbon atoms, optionally substituted with at least one halogen atom.