[2] It is one of waste products generated in amine gas treating due to cyclization of ethanolamine carbamate.

While investigating reactions of bromoethylamine hydrobromide, he treated it with silver carbonate and isolated a product with melting point around 90–91°C.

[4] Nine years later Gabriel returned to the topic together with G. Eschenbach, developing a more efficient synthesis using sodium bicarbonate instead of the silver salt.

They referred to the compound as "Oxäthylcarbaminsäureanhydrid" (hydroxyethylcarbamic acid anhydride), recognizing its relationship to ethanolamine and its cyclic structure.

In a common implementation, an acid chloride substrate reacts with a chiral oxazolidinone to form an imide.