3- Bromopropanoic acid

Bromopropanoic acid Ammonia Alanine (65-70%) Ammonium bromide... 

Place 2 litres (1760g, 36 mol) of concentrated ammonia solution (d 0.88, 35% w/w) (1) in a large (e.g. Winchester) bottle, cool thoroughly in an ice bath and pour in slowly 77 g (0.5 mol) of 2-bromopropanoic acid (Expt 5.164). Close the bottle with a rubber bung held in place with wire, and leave at room temperature for 4 days. Concentrate the solution to about 250 ml by distillation under reduced pressure using a rotary evaporator apply the vacuum with caution in the initial stages when most of the excess of ammonia is being removed. Filter, concentrate further to 150 ml, cool in ice and add 750 ml of... 

A one-pot alkoxymercuration-bromodemercuration of acrylate esters provides a versatile access to 3-alkoxy-2-bromopropanoic acids (equation 148)969. 

Enantiomerically pure (S)-2-bromopropanoic acid reacts with concentrated sodium hydroxide to give (R)-lactic acid. The reaction goes with inversion and is a typical S 2 reaction—and a good one too, since the reaction centre is adjacent to a carbonyl group (see Chapter 17). 

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