TW200720227A - Synthesis of an α-amino acid from an α-amino acid cyanohydrin, continuously and without isolating intermediate products - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a process for the continuous preparation of an α-amino acid of general formula (I), starting with the corresponding a-amino acid cyanohydrin of general formula (II), in which R and R', which may be identical or different, optionally forming a ring, each represent: - H; - an alkyl, haloalkyl or heteroaryl group containing between 1 and 30 carbon atoms, in a linear or branched chain; - an alkenyl or alkynyl group containing between 2 and 30 carbon atoms, in a linear or branched chain; - one or more cycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl or cycloalkynyl groups containing between 3 and 30 carbon atoms, in a linear or branched chain; - one or more aryl or heteroaryl groups containing between 3 and 10 carbon atoms per ring and optionally substituted with R; - an alkaryl or aralkyl group containing between 1 and 30 carbon atoms, the terms aryl and alkyl having the above definitions; - an alkoxyalkyl, alkylthioalkyl, alkylsulfonylalkyl or alkylaminoalkyl group containing between 1 and 30 carbon atoms, in a linear or branched chain; - one or more heterocyclic groups containing between 5 and 10 carbon atoms per ring; or - a combination of one or more above groups, the said groups being optionally substituted with R, with one or more nitro, cyano, hydroxyl, carboxyl, carbonyl or amino groups, with one or more halogens or with one or more nitrile, cyanohydrin or aldehyde functions, and, when R and R' together form a ring, this ring is as defined above, and, if R represents H, then R' is different from H, and, if R' represents H, then R is different from H.