Selective deprotection of phthalyl protected amines

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/0040-4039(96)01752-2

Phthalyl amidase selectively deprotects phthalimido groups under very mild aqueous conditions in a one-pot reaction to produce phthalic acid and the free amine. The enzyme has been shown to deprotect several primary amines of distinctly different structure, and exhibits chiral selectivity when the substrate contains extensive β-branching. The enzyme has a definite requirement for ortho positioning of the functional groups on a fixed axis of rotation.