Ethyl Acetate → L-Phenylalanine

Participants

Reaction Steps

A mixture of 1.15 grams of D,L-phenylalanine methyl ester in 2.5 milliliters of water was added to 5.0 milliliters of ethyl acetate. The pH was adjusted to 6.5 with 2.5 milliliters of sodium hydroxide. Two milligrams of chymotrypsin was added and the reaction was stirred gently at room temperature. A white precipitate appeared after 1.5 hours. The precipitate was isolated after 2 hours yielding 0.22 grams with an optical rotation equivalent to 98% pure L-phenylalanine.

Provenance & Evidence