A convenient synthesis of creatine- 15N from glycine- 15N via sarcosine- 15N

Article abstract of DOI:10.1002/jlcr.2580140417

The preparation of creatine-¹⁵N monohydrate from glycine-¹⁵N with the isolation of sarcosine-¹⁵N as an intermediate is described. Glycine- ¹⁵N (97.3 atom% ¹⁵N) is converted to benzenesulphonyl glycine- ¹⁵N, which is methylated to give benzenesulphonyl sarcosine-¹⁵N. The latter is hydrolysed to sarcosine-¹⁵N, which is isolated by ion exchange chromatography. Sarcosine-¹⁵N is converted to creatine-¹⁵N monohydrate by reaction with cyanamide in aqueous solution in the presence of sodium chloride and catalytic amounts of ammonium ammoniu hydroxide-¹⁴N. The creatinine-¹⁵N monohydrate precipitated from the above reaction mix is recrystablized from boiling water. The yield of sarcosine-¹⁵N from glycine-¹⁵N is 78% of theory and that of recrystallized creatine-¹⁵N monohydrate from glycine-¹⁵N is 59% of theory.