Exploratory studies probing the intermediacy of azomethine ylides in the photochemistry of N-phthaloyl derivatives of α-amino acids and β-amino alcohols

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/S0040-4020(99)00702-4

Exploratory photochemical studies with N-phthaloyl derivatives of glutamic acid, aspartic acid, serine, threonine and analogous carboxylic acids and alcohols have been conducted to determine the generality of azomethine ylide forming decarboxylation and retro-aldol fragmentation reactions. Preferences in the competition between these excited state reaction pathways have been determined by studies with phthalimides which contain both α-amino acid and β-aminoethanol groups.