Hydrochloric Acid → 1,2,3,4-Tetrahydroisoquinoline-3-carboxylic acid

Participants

Reaction Steps

Phenylalanine (75 g) was refluxed with 488 ml of concentrated HCl and 165 ml of formalin for 30 minutes. Then a further 165 ml of HCl and 75 ml of formalin were added and the mixture refluxed for six more hours. After cooling, it was filtered, washed with a small amount of methanol, and dried overnight in a vacuum oven. This material was then treated for an hour with refluxing isopropanol and filtered after cooling to give 28 gms.

Provenance & Evidence