ENANTIOSPECIFIC SYNTHESIS OF AMINO ACIDS: PREPARATION OF (R)- AND (S)-α-METHYLASPARTIC ACID FROM (S)-TRYPTOPHAN

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/S0040-4039(00)92648-0

The enantiospecific synthesis of both antipodes of α-methylaspartic acid from (S)-tryptophan is described with the key steps being alkylation of the hexahydropyrroloindole 4, oxidative degradation of indoles and, for the preparation of the (R)-isomer, Barton reductive decarboxylation.