Process for the preparation of 3,4-dihydroxybutanoic acid and salts thereof
AssigneeBoard of Trustees operating Michigan State University
InventorRawle I. Hollingsworth
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A process for the preparation of 3,4-dihydroxybutanoic acid (1) and salts thereof from a glucose source containing 1,4-linked glucose as a substituent is described. The process uses an alkali metal hdyroxide and hydrogen peroxide to convert the glucose source to (1). The compound (1) is useful as a chemical intermediate to naturally occurring fatty acids and is used to prepare 3,4-dihydroxybutanoic acid-gamma-lactone (2) and furanone (3), particularly stereoisomers of these compounds.
Claims18
A process for the conversion of a hexose source containing D-hexose as a substituent and another sugar attached to the D-hexose substituent in the 4 position to 3,4-dihydroxybutyric acid and glycolic acid which comprises:
- (a) reacting in a reaction mixture the hexose source with a base selected from the group consisting of an alkali metal hydroxide and an alkaline earth metal hydroxide and a peroxide oxidizing agent until 3,4-dihydroxybutyric acid and glycolic acid are formed as essentially the only products, wherein the peroxide and the base are present in a range up to a 4 molar excess over the D-hexose and wherein the D-hexose is between about 0.05 to 80% by weight per volume of the reaction mixture.
A process for the conversion of a glucose source containing glucose as a substituent and another sugar attached to the glucose substituent in the 4 position to 3,4-dihydroxybutyric acid and glycolic acid which comprises:
- (a) reacting in a reaction mixture the glucose source with a base selected from the group consisting of an alkali metal hydroxide and an alkaline earth metal hydroxide and hydrogen peroxide until 3,4-dihydroxybutyric acid and glycolic acid are formed as essentially the only products, wherein the peroxide and the base are present in a range up to a 4 molar excess over the glucose and wherein the glucose is between about 0.05 to 80% by weight per volume of the reaction mixture.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.