
6
Methods of Non-α-Amino Acid Synthesis, Second Edition
3-chloropropanoate gave nitroester 26.
28
In this particular case, reduction of the nitro
group was accomplished with ammonium formate, to give methyl 4-aminobutanoate
(27). This method is limited only by the availability of the nitroalkane precursor and
the relative reactivity and availability of the ω-halo-ester. It is noted that LiAlH
4
will
also reduce a nitro compound to an amine,
29
but in the sequence shown, the ester (or
acid) moiety would also be reduced to an alcohol. For this reason, nitro groups in
multifunctional molecules are more commonly reduced by catalytic hydrogenation
or ...