In 1961,J. Heinrich Matthaei and Marshall W. Nirenberg discovered the genetic codon for phenylalanine was firstly . They pointed out that by using m-RNA to insert multiple uracil repeats into the bacterium E. coli, the bacterium produced a new protein consisting solely of repeated phenylalanine amino acids. This discovery caused the determination of the relationship between RNA and amino acids, which was fundamental to the understanding of the Genetic Code.

Dl-phenylalanine is reported in EPA TSCA Inventory.

The IUPAC name of DL-Phenylalanine is 2-amino-3-phenylpropanoic acid. With the CAS registry number 150-30-1, it is also named as Phenylalanine DL-form. The product's categories are Food & Feed Additives; Amino Acids Series; Amino Acids; Chiral; Organic Acids; Phenylalanine [Phe, F]; alpha-Amino Acids; Biochemistry; Amino Acids; Phenlalnine; Amino Acid; Food Additive; Pharmaceutical Intermediate. Besides, it is white crystalline powder, which should be sealed in a cool, dry place. It is stable, and incompatible with strong oxidizing agents. In addition, its molecular formula is C₉H₁₁NO₂ and molecular weight is 165.19.

The other characteristics of this product can be summarized as: (1)EINECS: 205-756-7; (2)ACD/LogP: 0.24; (3)# of Rule of 5 Violations: 0; (4)ACD/BCF (pH 5.5): 1; (5)ACD/BCF (pH 7.4): 1; (6)ACD/KOC (pH 5.5): 1; (7)ACD/KOC (pH 7.4): 1; (8)#H bond acceptors: 3; (9)#H bond donors: 3; (10)#Freely Rotating Bonds: 4; (11)Index of Refraction: 1.576; (12)Molar Refractivity: 45.493 cm³; (13)Molar Volume: 137.437 cm³; (14)Surface Tension: 53.597 dyne/cm; (15)Density: 1.202 g/cm³; (16)Flash Point: 139.771 °C; (17)Melting point: 266-267 °C; (18)Water solubility: 14.11 g/L (25 °C); (19)Enthalpy of Vaporization: 57.873 kJ/mol; (20)Boiling Point: 307.5 °C at 760 mmHg; (21)Vapour Pressure: 0 mmHg at 25 °C.

Preparation of DL-Phenylalanine: this chemical can be prepared by the reaction of Acetyl-L-phenylalanine with HCl. Furthermore, it is produced by acetylamino-benzyl-malonic acid diethyl ester.



This reaction needs H⁺, water by heating. The yield is 82 %.

Uses of DL-Phenylalanine: this chemical is used as a dietary supplement and as a nutritional supplement for its supposed analgesic and antidepressant activities. Additionally, it can react with acetic acid anhydride to get N-(1-benzyl-2-oxo-propyl)-acetamide.



This reaction needs pyridine by heating. The yield is 76 %.

When you are using this chemical, please be cautious about it as the following: it may cause burns. It is also irritating to eyes, respiratory system and skin. In case of contact with eyes, please rinse immediately with plenty of water and seek medical advice. And you should wear suitable protective clothing, gloves and eye/face protection to avoid contact with skin and eyes. Moreover, please take off immediately all contaminated clothing. In case of accident or if you feel unwell, seek medical advice immediately (show the label whenever possible.)

People can use the following data to convert to the molecule structure.
(1)Canonical SMILES: C1=CC=C(C=C1)CC(C(=O)O)N
(2)InChI: InChI=1S/C9H11NO2/c10-8(9(11)12)6-7-4-2-1-3-5-7/h1-5,8H,6,10H2,(H,11,12)
(3)InChIKey: COLNVLDHVKWLRT-UHFFFAOYSA-N