3-Ethyl-4-methyl-3-pyrrolin-2-one, a five-membered α,β-unsaturated lactam derivative, has various applications in medicinal chemistry. It can be synthesized by employing following as starting materials:

• allylamine, via palladium(II)-assisted cyclization
• 4-methoxybenzylamine, via a ring-closing-metathesis strategy
• 3-ethyl-1-(4-methoxybenzyl)-4-methyl-1,5-dihydro-2H-pyrrol-2- one

3-Ethyl-4-methyl-3-pyrrolin-2-one (3-Ethyl-4-methyl-1,5-dihydro-2H-pyrrol-2-one) may be employed as a precursor for the synthesis of glimepiride (antidiabetic drug) and its derivatives (sulfonylurea drugs). It may also be employed for the preparation of 2-ethyl-3-methyl-(10H)-
dipyrrin-1-one.