SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF NOVEL AMINO CARBOXYLIC ACIDS.

A series of substituted amino carboxylic acids were synthesized by simple addition and reduction reactions using easily available reagents. Nitroalkanes such as nitromethane and nitroethane were reacted with aromatic aldehydes to give nitroalkenes which were further converted to substituted nitro esters by Michael addition reaction under mild conditions using KF supported alumina as a basic catalyst. These nitro esters were reduced to give substituted amino carboxylic acids using nickel chloride hexahydrate and sodium borohydride