Chlorocyanoethylation of anisole with 2-chloroacrylonitrile in presenc
e of titanium tetrachloride furnished alpha-chloro-beta-(4-methoxyphen
yl)propionitrile. This on simple reaction sequence was converted to (/-) thyl-alpha-amino-beta-(4-methonyphenyl)propionate, a tyrosine deri
vative.