Acyl esters, reaction with ammonia

THE REACTION OF AMMONIA WITH ACYL ESTERS OF CARBOHYDRATE S ... 

In summary, it may be stated that the reaction of acyl esters of aldoses and aldobioses (see Section III, p. 92) with ammonia consists of a set of competitive pathways, including intramolecular O —> N migrations of acyl groups, deacylations, and transesterifications, with formation of aldose amides and variable proportions of the free sugar as the principal products. Significant proportions of basic or insoluble polymeric substances were not observed with aldose acetates or benzoates, although occurrence of extensive browning indicates the probable formation of soluble melanoidins. 

However, most nucleophiles attack 5-oxazolones at the carbonyl group and the products are derivatives of a-amino acids formed by acyl-oxygen fission. Thus the action of alcohols, thiols, ammonia and amines leads, respectively, to esters, thioesters and amides orthophosphate anion gives acyl phosphates (Scheme 18). The use of a-amino acids in this reaction results in the establishment of a peptide link. Cysteine is acylated at the nitrogen atom in preference to the sulfur atom. Enzymes, e.g. a-chymotrypsin and papain, also readily combine with both saturated and unsaturated azlactones. A useful reagent for the introduction of an a-methylalanine residue is compound (202). Both the trifluoroacetamido and ester groups in the product are hydrolyzed by alkali to give a dipeptide. The alkaline hydrolyzate may be converted into the benzyloxycarbonyl derivative, which forms a new oxazolone on dehydration. Reaction with an ester of an amino acid then yields a protected tripeptide (equation 45). 

Gelpi, Maria E., and Cadenas, Raul A., The Reaction of Ammonia with Acyl Esters of Carbohydrates, 31, 81-134... 

Water, alcohols, ammonia, or amines are the nucleophiles that are usually employed in reactions with acyl chlorides. The products of these reactions are carboxylic acids, esters, or carboxamides according to the following reactions. 

The formation of amides can be accompHshed by dehydration of the ammonium salts of sahcyhc acid. The more common method for amines is the reaction of the ester, acyl hahde, or anhydride with an amine or ammonia. Each step is fast and essentially irreversible. 

REACTION OF AMMONIA WITH CARBOHYDRATE ACYL ESTERS 83... 

On the other hand, the acyl esters of 2-ketoses follow a completely different pathway, as heterocyclic, nitrogenated compounds and melanoidins are the principal products of their reaction with ammonia. The free 2-ketoses show similar behavior, but they present a significant difference in the extent of formation of these compounds, the presence of the esterifying acyl groups in the molecule being decisive in increasing their yields. 

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