Diethyl acetamidomalonate, amino acid synthesis from

A more general method for preparation ofa-amino acids is the amidotnalmatesynthesis, a straightforward extension of the malonic ester synthesis (Section 22.7). The reaction begins with conversion of diethyl acetamidomalonate into an eno-late ion by treatment with base, followed by S 2 alkylation with a primary alkyl halide. Hydrolysis of both the amide protecting group and the esters occurs when the alkylated product is warmed with aqueous acid, and decarboxylation then takes place to vield an a-amino acid. For example aspartic acid can be prepared from, ethyl bromoacetate, BrCh CCHEt ... 

Acylaminomalonic esters and related reagents are widely used for the synthesis of a-amino acids. The method differs from those syntheses already discussed in that the amino group is incorporated into the system from the outset. A popular reagent is diethyl acetamidomalonate (35). The acetamido group can readily be introduced into the reactive methylene position in diethyl malonate by first converting the latter into the hydroxy-imino derivative (33) by reaction with nitrous acid or an alkyl nitrite (cf. Section 4.2.7, p. 413). This derivative is then reduced catalytically to diethyl aminomalonate (34) which is acetylated using acetic anhydride. 

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