Question

Azlactones are important starting materials used in the synthesis of dehydro a-aminoacids. They react with aldehydes to form an intermediate that is hydrolyzed under acidic conditions to give the final amino acid product. Provide the structure of the intermediate and propose a mechanism for its formation.

Short answer

Azlactones react with aldehydes to form an intermediate that is hydrolyzed under acidic conditions to give the final amino acid product.

Step-by-step solution

Structure of intermediate

The structure of the intermediate is,

Mechanism

The mechanism of the reaction is,