Pyridine → Ethyl 3-acetamido-2-oxobutanoate

Participants

Reaction Steps

52 g (396 mmol) of acetylalanine were dissolved in 800 ml of THF, and 45 mg (0.4 mmol) of 4-dimethylaminopyridine and 96 ml (1188 mmol) of pyridine were added. The mixture was heated to reflux, and 88 ml (792 mmol) of ethyl oxalyl chloride were added dropwise over a period of 45 min. The mixture was stirred at reflux for a further 3 h. The reaction mixture was added to ice-water, ethyl acetate was added and the mixture was extracted. The organic phase was washed with saturated aqueous sodium chloride solution, dried over sodium sulfate and concentrated on a rotary evaporator. The crude mixture was reacted further without any further purification.

Provenance & Evidence