Ammonia → (2S,3S)-2 ethyl-3-hydroxybutyramide

Participants

Reaction Steps

(2S,3S)-Ethyl 2 ethyl-3-hydroxybutyrate (1 gram) was dissolved in 5 ml of absolute ethanol, followed by the addition of 0.5 gram of gaseous ammonia. The solution was kept in a stoppered flask, and the progress of the reaction was followed by thin layer chromatography. After the reaction was judged complete, the ethanol was evaporated and the resulting residue redissolved in ethyl acetate. Ammonia was removed by extraction with 1% HCl, and the ethyl acetate solution was dried over MgSO4, filtered, and rotary evaporated to leave 0.7 grams of (2S,3S)-2 ethyl-3-hydroxybutyramide.

Provenance & Evidence