Sodium carbonate mediated regioselective synthesis of novel N-(hydroxyalkyl)cinnamamides

A synthetic protocol for the direct synthesis of N-(hydroxyalkyl)cinnamamides from cinnamates and aminoalcohols in the presence of sodium carbonate as the base is presented. A wide variety of N-(hydroxyalkyl)cinnamamides were isolated in up to 99% yields. The reaction is highly regioselective and yields only N-acylated products by 1,2-addition of aminoalcohols to cinnamates.