Formic Acid → Norleucine hydrochloride

Participants

Reaction Steps

4.07 grams of 2-methoxycarbonylaminohexanoic acid methyl ester were heated in 15 ml of a mixture consisting of equal parts of concentrated hydrochloric acid, 100 weight percent formic acid and water for 24 hours under reflux. The acid mixture was removed in a vacuum, the oily residue treated twice with 20 ml of acetone and freed from acetone again in a vacuum. The now crystalline residue was intensively stirred with 10 ml of acetone, filtered with suction and dried over diphosphorus pentoxide. There were obtained 3.26 grams (97.3%) of D,L-norleucine hydrochloride pure by thin layer chromatography.

Provenance & Evidence