(DBU) reacted with benzyl halides in CH2Cl2/H2O 1 : 1 (v/v) to afford a mixture of eleven-membered cyclic amide 1 and seven-membered cyclic amide 2. When the reaction was carried out in EtOH/H2O 1 : 1 (v/v), product 2 was obtained as the major product. 1,5-Diazabicyclo[4.3.0]non-5-ene (DBN) gave the five-membered cyclic amide 3 as the sole product under the same reaction conditions.