Studies of the N-Oxides of N,N-Dialkylainino Acids. I. The Syntheses of N,N-Dimethyl Neutral Amino Acids and Corresponding N-Oxides

The N,N-dimethyl derivatives of neutral amino acids, such as glycine. l-alanine, Dl-alanine, l-valine, Dl-valine, l-leucine, l-phenylalanine, and l-tyrosine, were prepared by the catalytic reductive condensation of the corresponding amino acids with formaldehyde. The N-oxides were satisfactorily synthesized by the oxidation of the N,N-dimethyl derivatives with an aqueous mixture of hydrogen peroxide and acetic acid. The reaction conditions, the analytical data, and some properties of the products are presented.