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Updated: Feb 1, 2026

Synthesis of Esters Via a Greener Steglich Esterification in Acetonitrile
Published on: October 30, 2018
Synthesis of unnatural α-amino esters using ethyl nitroacetate and condensation or cycloaddition reactions
Glwadys Gagnot1,2,3, Vincent Hervin1,2, Eloi P Coutant1,2
1Unité de Chimie et Biocatalyse, Département de Biologie Structurale et Chimie, Institut Pasteur, 28 rue du Dr. Roux, 75724 Paris Cedex 15, France.
Abstract:
We report here on the use of ethyl nitroacetate as a glycine template to produce α-amino esters. This started with a study of its condensation with various arylacetals to give ethyl 3-aryl-2-nitroacrylates followed by a reduction (NaBH4 and then zinc/HCl) into α-amino esters. The scope of this method was explored as well as an alternative with arylacylals instead. We also focused on various [2 + 3] cycloadditions, one leading to a spiroacetal, which led to the undesired ethyl 5-(benzamidomethyl)isoxazole-3-carboxylate. The addition of ethyl nitroacetate on a 5-methylene-4,5-dihydrooxazole using cerium(IV) ammonium nitrate was also explored and the synthesis of other oxazole-bearing α-amino esters was achieved using gold(I) chemistry.
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