Synthesis of enantiomerically enriched-bromonitriles from amino acids

Article abstract of DOI:10.1080/00397911.2011.608142

Two methods were investigated for the preparation of six chiral-bromonitriles with different optic purities. The nitrous deamination of amino acids gives-bromoacids, which react with chlorosulfonyl isocyanate followed by triethylamine to afford-bromonitriles with moderate enantiomeric excess. However, the dehydration of corresponding-bromoamids using thionyl chloride gives-bromonitriles with good enantiomeric excess up to 94%. The use of phosphoryl chloride instead of thionyl chloride results in more than 30% racemization as determined by high-performance liquid chromatograpic analysis.