Improved synthesis of (R)-glycine-d-N-15

Previously, we have synthesized the title glycine to permit assignment of t he prochiral alpha -protons of glycine residues in the NMR study of the pro tein FKBP. A key, and low yielding step in this synthesis occurs in the rut henium tetraoxide mediated degradation of N-t-Boc-p-methoxybenzyl amine to N-t-Boc-glycine. Efforts to improve this key step by exploring different su bstrates and N-protecting groups were successful to render this synthesis a menable for the large scale production of (R)-glycine-d-N-15. (C) 2001 Else vier Science Ltd. Ail rights reserved.