SEARCH Articles Figures Tables Transformation of an a-phosphonylcarboxylic acid ester via the related carboxylic acid azide F and its Curtius degradation in ethanol to furnish an ethoxycarbonyl-protected a-aminophosphonic acid ester E. The N- and 0-bound protective groups of the latter compounds are cleaved off under acidic conditions. In this manner a-aminophosphonic acids are synthesized. They are interesting analogs of the biologically important a-amino carboxylic acids. [Publishers Imprint]