Decarboxylative isomerization of N-Acyl-2-oxazolidinones to 2-oxazolines.

N-Acyl-2-oxazolidinones are ring-opened by lithium iodide and decarboxylated in the presence of a mild proton source. Further reaction with an amine base provides 2-oxazolines. The transformation is general for oxazolidinones unsubstituted in the 5 position and occurs under mild conditions (25-50 degrees C). These results complement the existing methods for this transformation by allowing lower temperatures and/or avoiding metal catalysts.