title: Photochemical cleavage and release of carboxylic acids from alpha-keto amides.
abstract: Carboxylate groups incorporated at the position alpha to the keto carbonyl of alpha-keto amides 1 were photochemically cleaved in aqueous media to give carboxylic acids in 70-90% yields with quantum yields of 0.3. The cleavage coproducts were diastereomeric hemiacetals 2. Prompt release of acetate and gamma-aminobutyrate (GABA) in buffer was observed by difference FT-IR spectroscopy upon 355 nm laser flash photolysis. The time-constant for release of GABA was <30 ms. [reaction--see text]
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI 53201-1881, USA.
authors.forename: Chicheng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Mark G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Steinmetz
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Vasanthi
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Jayaraman
mesh_terms: D000085:Acetates / Q000737:chemistry; D000577:Amides / Q000737:chemistry*; D002264:Carboxylic Acids / Q000737:chemistry*; D007659:Ketones / Q000737:chemistry; D015394:Molecular Structure; D010782:Photolysis; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000085:Acetates; D000577:Amides; D002264:Carboxylic Acids; D007659:Ketones; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid