A procedure easily to carried out for the synthesis of 1, 3-oxazolidines in high yields using 1, 2-amino alcohols, nitriles, an atmospheric pressure of hydrogen and catalytic quantites of rhodium on carbon powder is presented. This reaction probably involves the semi- hydrogenation of the nitrile followed by condensation with the amino alcohol. The process may constitute the key step in a two-step sequence for reducing a nitrile into the ...
