A process provided for the preparation of the (S)- and (R)- alpha- ethyl-2-oxo-1- pyrrolidineacetamide of formula:(1) from (RS)-alpha-ethyl-2-oxo-l-pyrrolidineacetic acid of formula:(2) comprising: i) combining the (RS)-2 with a chiral base (resolving agent) in a resolution solvent and crystallizing from the said mixture the diastereomeric salt of (S)- or (R)-2 and chiral base; ii) regenerating (S)- or (R)-2 from the crystallized diastereomeric salt by treating with a suitable acid or acidic ion-exchange resin; iii) optionally regenerating (R)- or (S)-2 or their mixture (predominantly one enantiomer) from the crystallization mother liquor by treating with a suitable acid or acidic ion-exchange resin; iv) optionally epimerizing (RS)-2 by treating (R)- or (S)-2 or their mixture (predominantly one enantiomer) of step iii with an acid anhydride; V) optionally converting (RS)-2 of step iv into enantiomerically enriched (S)- or (R)-2 through steps i and ii; vi) formation of the mixed anhydride by reacting (R)- or (S)-2 with an alkyl or aryl sulfonyl halogen compound RSO2X in the presence of a suitable base; and vii) reacting the mixed anhydride with ammonia; wherein R represents C 1 to C 15 alkyl or aryl groups such as methyl, ethyl, p-toluenyl, 2,4,6-trimethylbenzyl, 2,4,6-trichloribenzyl, and X represents a halogen atom such as F, Cl and Br atoms.
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