Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Amino acids synthesis...

kazaa81 - 6-5-2006 at 09:07

Hi,

I am searching for a way to synthetize amino acids...anyone can help?
Obviously short-chain amino acids would be easier to synth. than long-chain ones.
Glycine would be the easiest.

Another idea I have in mind is to synth. them by breaking the peptidic chains of keratin, hair-polymer.

In attachment there is a text file I compiled.

[Edited on 6-5-2006 by kazaa81]

Attachment: Aminoacids-by-kazaa81.txt (4kB)
This file has been downloaded 947 times


nitroglycol - 6-5-2006 at 10:09

Just an off-the-cuff suggestion for glycine- start with diethyl malonate, add NaNH2, isolate the product, then saponify the ester and decarboxylate? I'm not sure how easily the decarboxylation would go, though, or if there are side reactions that would mess it up. I suppose if I had time I could look it up, but at least you know where to start.

leu - 6-5-2006 at 16:30

A general method of synthesizing amino acids is by means of the Strecker reaction; from an aldehyde, a cyanide and ammonia. From:

http://chemistry2.csudh.edu/rpendarvis/aminoacids.html

The reaction begins with imine formation from an aldehyde and ammonia. The acid catalysis required for this comes from ammonium chloride, a weak acid. An addition of hydrogen cyanide to the imine follows. This is analogous to the additions of nucleophiles to an aldehyde or ketone which we studied earlier. In this instance, the cyanide ion serves as the nucleophile.

Also, see:

http://www.cem.msu.edu/~reusch/VirtTxtJml/proteins.htm

http://www.organic-chemistry.org/namedreactions/strecker-syn...

:D

kazaa81 - 6-5-2006 at 16:51

Thank you nitroglycol and leu (leucine?)

The synthesis you posted is interesting, I've never hear about it...but one thing dislikes me...HCN, hydrogen cyanide...too much poisoning for me..also for much of we here.

I've heard about this...
Glycine - from chloroacetic acid and ammonia (amino acetic acid)

my goal is to synthetize amino acids of purity not really great (90% or even less), but with impurities not poisoning as cyanides....my impurities would be somewhat like CaCO3...very safe!

guy - 6-5-2006 at 18:51

Quote:

Glycine - from chloroacetic acid and ammonia (amino acetic acid)


You probably will get a mixture of glycine, ammonium chloride, and 2-chloroethan-1-amide.

[Edited on 5/7/2006 by guy]

kazaa81 - 11-5-2006 at 05:22

This thread seems interesting to me...
http://www.sciencemadness.org/talk/viewthread.php?tid=2210#p...

If one escape the last steps, one has a solution of amino acids, from hairs.
However, how make the HCl safe? Like using the solution as food-integrator?
Neutralizing with sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3)?

any help appreciated

Niels Bohr - 11-5-2006 at 05:29

What are you going to use it for. I'm just curious.

kazaa81 - 11-5-2006 at 05:42

to bohr:

Quote:
Originally posted by kazaa81
......using the solution as food-integrator?.....


Using a solution as food integretor what would mean?

If that's still not clear enough, I would mean using a solution (or powder) of amino acids of the above experiment as an aid in diets poor of some of them. All this from cheap hairs!

kazaa81 - 14-5-2006 at 07:28

Any help welcomed

[Edited on 14-5-2006 by kazaa81]