Efficient and environmentally friendly synthesis of 2-amino-imidazole

A new and efficient method for the preparation of 2-amino-imidazole 3 was developed. Starting from cheap commodities O-methyl-iso-urea sulphate and 2-aminoacetaldehyde-acetales the desired product is isolated through a very simple work-up in a good yield. This new procedure overcomes several technical and environmental problems of the traditional approaches to this Molecule and is therefore very attractive for large-scale preparation. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.