L-Valine → Formylvaline

Participants

Reaction Steps

To valine (15 g, 0.129 mol) in 88% formic acid (52 ml) is added acetic formic anhydride (33 g, 0.386 mol) over 0.75 hr at 5°. The reaction mixture is warmed to RT and stirred overnight. The reaction is worked up by distilling off (bath temp. 45°-50°) the solvent, excess anhydride and acetic acid, to give, as a white solid, 2-(N-formylamino)-3-methylbutanoic acid, recrystallized from hot ethanol, m.p. 143°-145°.

Provenance & Evidence