PREPARATION OF ALPHA-SUBSTITUTED BETA-ALANINE DERIVATIVES FROM 5-SUBSTITUTED URACILS AND DIHYDROURACILS

In the course of synthesizing new cyclic analogues of creatine to examine the substrate specificity of the enzyme creatine kinase, we needed reasonable quantities of both 2, 3-diaminopropanoic acid (1) and 2-(methylamino)-3-aminopropanoic acid (2). Compound 1 is available commercially at high cost and can be prepared as the dihydrobromide from 2, 3-dibromopropanoic acid and ammonia, but the yield is only 40-50% and high temperatures and pressure are required. © 1979, American Chemical Society. All rights reserved.