A short, efficient synthesis of substituted uracil: An indane carbocyclic nucleoside

(+/-)-cis-1-(3-Hydroxymethyl-1-indanyl)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydropyrimidine-2,4-di one (1) was synthesised in two steps and with an overall yield of 51% from (+/-)-cis-3-amino-1-indanylmethanol (4) and 3-ethoxy-2-propenoyl isocyanate (3). The isocyanate 3 was prepared in 76% overall yield by reacting silver cyanate with 3-ethoxy-2-propenoyl chloride (2), which was obtained in one pot from ethyl vinyl ether and oxalyl chloride. The aminoalcohol (4) was pr epared from phenylsuccinic anhydride in four steps.