Methanol → Methyl 5-oxo-L-prolinate

Participants

Reaction Conditions

Reaction Steps

Methanol (62 L, 1.155 mol), L-pyroglutamic acid (20 kg, 154.9 mol) and H2SO4 (97%, 0.87 L, 15.5 mol) were introduced into a reactor. The suspension was warmed to 60° C. and stirred until the pyroglutamic acid concentration dropped below 10%. The temperature of the reactor jacket was lowered to 0° C., and when the internal temperature reached 30° C., 9.7 kg (68.1 mol) of Na2SO4 was added and stirred for 15 min, then 8.1 kg (96.4 mol) of NaHCO3 was added. When pH 7 was reached (about 10 min), the suspension was filtered over a pad of celite. The filtrate was reintroduced into the reactor, and the methanol was distilled off at a pressure of 90-160 mbar and a jacket temperature of 50° C. Ethyl acetate (53 L) was then added with stirring, the mixture cooled to 0° C., and the mixture stirred for 16 hr. Unreacted pyroglutamic acid crystallized out and was removed by filtration. Removal of the ethyl acetate by evaporation under reduced pressure provided the title product as a viscous yellow oil, which was taken to the next step without further purification.

Provenance & Evidence