N-METHYLATION OF CARBAMATE DERIVATIVES OF ALPHA-AMINO-ACIDS

Carbamate derivatives of alpha-amino acids react by N-methylation, without racemization, on treatment with tert-butyl perbenzoate in the presence of copper(II) octanoate; the selective reaction of N-tert-butoxycarbonylglycine methyl ester, in preference to the corresponding alanine and valine derivatives, indicates that the relative reactivity of substrates is determined by the comparative ease of their complexation to the copper.