Exploratory studies probing the intermediacy of azomethine ylides in the photochemistry of N-phthaloyl derivatives of alpha-amino acids and beta-amino alcohols.

Exploratory photochemical studies with N-phthaloyl derivatives of glutamic acid, aspartic acid, serine, threonine and analogous carboxylic acids and a lcohols have been conducted to determine the generality of azomethine ylide forming decarboxylation and retro-aldol fragmentation reactions. Preferenc es in the competition between these excited state reaction pathways have be en determined by studies with phthalimides which contain both alpha-amino a cid and beta-aminoethanol groups. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.