Acetylphenylalanine methyl ester → N-acetylphenylalanine aldehyde

Participants

Reaction Conditions

Reaction Steps

N-Acetylphenylalanine methyl ester (4.2 g, 19 mmol) was dissolved in ethylene glycol dimethyl ether. The solution was cooled to −70° C. and diisobutylaluminum hydride (25.3 mL of a 1.5M solution in toluene, 39 mmol) was added. The resulting reaction mixture was stirred at −70° C. for 2 hours. The reaction was quenched by addition of 2N hydrochloric acid. The mixture was extracted 4 times with cold ethyl acetate and 4 times with toluene. The extracts were combined, washed with brine and dried over magnesium sulfate. Concentration in vacuo followed by silica gel chromatography furnished 2.7 g of a white solid. The NMR was identical to that reported in the literature, Biochemistry, 1979, 18, 921–926.

Provenance & Evidence