Hydrochloric Acid → 4-[(Methoxycarbonyl)(methyl)amino]butanoic acid

Participants

Reaction Steps

4-(Methylamino)butyric acid hydrochloride (5 g, 32.5 mmol), and potassium carbonate (18 g, 130 mmol) were suspended in water (50 ml) and dioxane (25 ml) then cooled to 0° C. Methyl chloroformate (13 ml, 168 mmol) was added over 1 minute, then the mixture was stirred and allowed to warm slowly to room temperature for 16 hours. Conc. HCl (20 ml) was added then the mixture was diluted with water and extracted with ethyl acetate. The organic layer was dried over magnesium sulfate, evaporated and dried in vacuo to give 4-[(methoxycarbonyl)(methyl)amino]butyric acid as a thick clear oil (9.7 g).

Provenance & Evidence