Synthesis
In a 250 mL three-necked flask, 180 mL of chloroform was added as a solvent and 30 g of β-alanine (0.337 mol) and 37.8 g of acetic anhydride (0.371 mol) were added sequentially. The reaction system was heated to 60 °C and the reaction was stirred at this temperature for 5 hours. The progress of the reaction was monitored by thin layer chromatography (TLC) or ninhydrin colorimetry during the reaction until β-alanine was completely converted. Upon completion of the reaction, the reaction mixture was cooled to 4 °C and stirring was continued at this temperature for 1 h to promote product precipitation. Subsequently, the solid product was collected by diafiltration and washed with cold chloroform. The resulting solid was dried to constant weight in a vacuum drying oven to afford 42 g of white crystalline N-acetyl-β-alanine (I) in 95.4% yield. The purity of the product was analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and was ≥99.3%.
Purification Methods
The β-alanine crystallises from acetone. [King & King J Am Chem Soc 78 1089 1956, Beilstein 4 IV 2526, 2548.]
References
[1] European Journal of Organic Chemistry, 2012, # 29, p. 5774 - 5788,15
[2] European Journal of Organic Chemistry, 2012, # 29, p. 5774 - 5788
[3] Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2017, vol. 139, # 39, p. 13596 - 13599
[4] Patent: CN105461632, 2016, A. Location in patent: Paragraph 0030
[5] Journal of Polymer Science, 11946>124,
