US 6,982,349 B1
Process for producing atenolol of high optical purity
Satish Ramanlal Mehta, Maharashtra (India); Baburao Manikroa Bhawal, Maharashtra (India); Vishnu Hari Deshpande, Maharashtra (India); and Mukund Keshav Gurjar, Maharashtra (India)
Assigned to Emcure Pharmaceuticals Limited, Pune (India)
Filed on Nov. 05, 2003, as Appl. No. 10/701,942.
Claims priority of application No. 1148/MUM/2003 (IN), filed on Oct. 31, 2003.
Int. Cl. C07C 233/05 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 564—165 8 Claims
 
1. An improved process for the preparation of (S)-atenolol (1), comprising the steps of:
a) reacting a phenol of formula:
OG Complex Work Unit Drawing
 with an (R)-epichlorohydrin of formula:
OG Complex Work Unit Drawing
 in the presence of an alkali metal hydroxide and a quaternary ammonium salt as a phase transfer catalyst in a solely aqueous solution at a temperature of −10° C. to 0° C. to obtain optically active intermediate glycidyl ether of formula:
OG Complex Work Unit Drawing
b) reacting the optically active intermediate glycidil ether (4) with isopropylamine at 10° to 40° C. to obtain (S)-atenolol of formula
OG Complex Work Unit Drawing
 in high optical purity of >99% ee.