PURPOSE: To provide the new (S)-aziridine-2-carboxylic acid derivative capable of being readily produced, regarded as the active derivative of the α-amine acid, and having a high industrial application value.
CONSTITUTION: An (S)-aziridine-2-carboxylic acid derivative of formula I (R is lower alkyl), e.g. (S)-N-(isoptopyloxycarbonyl)aziridine-2-carboxylic acid isopropyl ester. The compound of formula I or its R-isomer is obtained in the form of a compound of formula IV by reacting an (S)- or (R)-aziridine-2- carboxylic acid derivative of formula II (R1, R2 are independently alkyl or aralkyl) as a raw material with a tetraalkyl titanate of formula III (R3 is alkyl, aralkyl) to transesterify R1 and R2 with R3 while the steric configuration of the raw material is maintained.
Iwasaki Nei
Makoto Fujita
Katsuyuki Ogura
Yasuo Kato
Kenji Fukumoto
Nippon Steel Chemical Co., Ltd.