Front Cover: Facile Multicomponent Synthesis of Oxazolidinones from Primary Amines and Cesium (Hydrogen)Carbonate (Eur. J. Org. Chem. 27/2023)

A facile multicomponent, catalyst-free oxazolidinone synthesis from primary aliphatic or aromatic amines, dibromoethane (DBE), and the usage of either cesium carbonate or cesium hydrogencarbonate as the simultaneous base and C1 source is reported. The applicability of this technically simple reaction was demonstrated by a broad scope with generally high yields, enabling concise late-stage functionalization of amino groups into N-substituted oxazolidinones. The proposed operating reaction mechanism consists of a first-step nucleophilic substitution reaction between DBE and the primary amine, followed by the formation of a carbamate or carbonate intermediate and subsequent cyclization. Additional versatility of the herein-developed protocol has been showcased in a medicinal chemistry approach by the generation of an oxazolidinone-modified dipeptidyl peptidase 8 (DPP8) inhibitor.