Formaldehyde → HCID 178479888, compound

Participants

Reaction Steps

In the preparation of N5 -methyltetrahydrohomofolic acid from homofolic acid, the steps consisting of reducing homofolic acid to tetrahydrohomofolic acid in the dark with a slight overpressure of hydrogen in the presence of reduced platinum oxide, immediately reacting tetrahydrohomofolic acid with formaldehyde to product the intermediate 5,11-methylenetetrahydrohomofolic acid and reducing without isolation the formed 5,11-methylene intermediate with sodium borohydride to give the desired 5-methyltetrahydrohomofolic acid (5-MeTHHF) and removing by precipitation at a pH of about 3.8 with acetic acid the side products, refrigerating the product filtrate containing 5-MeTHHF overnight and separating and recovering 5-MeTHHF.

Provenance & Evidence