Synthesis of α-Amino Acid N-Carboxyanhydrides

Org Lett. 2021 Aug 20;23(16):6412-6416. doi: 10.1021/acs.orglett.1c02224. Epub 2021 Aug 9.

Abstract

A simple phosgene- and halogen-free method for synthesizing α-amino acid N-carboxyanhydrides (NCAs) is described. The reaction between Boc-protected α-amino acids and T3P reagent gave the corresponding NCA derivatives in good yield and purity with no detectable epimerization. The process is safe, is easy-to-operate, and does not require any specific installation. It generates nontoxic, easy to remove byproducts. It can apply to the preparation of NCAs for the on-demand on-site production of either little or large quantities.