Patent ID: 7307163

Claim:
A process for the preparation of linezolid of formula: which comprises: a) reacting 3-fluoro-4-morpholinyl aniline with R-epichlorohydrin to produce N-[3-Chloro-2-(R)-hydroxypropyl]-3-fluoro-4-morpholinyl aniline; b) subjecting N-[3-Chloro-2-(R)-hydroxypropyl]-3-fluoro-4-morpholinyl aniline produced in step (a) to carbonylation using a carbonylating agent to provide (5R)-5-(chloromethyl)-3-[3-fluoro-4-(4-morpholinyl)phenyl]-2-oxazolidinone; c) reacting (5R)-5-(chloromethyl)-3-[3-fluoro-4-(4-morpholinyl)phenyl]-2-oxazolidinone produced in step (b) with potassium phthalimide to provide (S)-N-[[3-[3-Fluoro-4-[4-morpholinyl]phenyl]-2-oxo-5-oxazolidinyl]methyl]phthalimide; d) reacting (S-N-[[3-[3-Fluoro-4-[4-morpholinyl]phenyl]-2-oxo-5-oxazolidinyl]methyl]phthalimide produced in step (c) with hydrazine hydrate to produce S-N-[[3-[3-Fluoro-4-[4-morpholinyl]phenyl]-2-oxo-5-oxazolidinyl]methyl]amine; and e) reacting S-N-[[3-[3-Fluoro-4-[4-morpholinyl]phenyl]-2-oxo-5-oxazolidinyl]methyl]amine produced in step (d) with acetic anhydride to produce linezolid.