An alkylation route to carbo- and heteroaromatic amino acids

Amino acids carrying aromatic carbo- and heterocycles in the side chain, such as naphthyl-, biphenyl- and pyridylalanines, have been prepared by alkylation of a glycine enolate with a haloalkyl carbocycle or heterocycle, with enantiomeric excess up to 87% using the ephedrine amide protocol

Synthesis by conjugate radical addition of new heterocyclic amino acids with nucleobase side chains

N-(2-Iodoethyl) and N-(3-iodopropyl)pyrimidines and purines undergo stereoselective conjugate radical addition with an optically active oxazolidinone acceptor to give syn adducts that can be converted into amino acids carrying pyrimidine and purine (nucleobase) side chains