Stamicarbon B.v.

Hans E Schoemaker

Wilhelmus H Boesten

Bernardus H Dassen

The invention relates to a process for racemizing an optically active N-benzylidene amino-acid amide, characterized in that a solution of the N-benzylidene amino-acid amide is mixed in a water-miscible organic solvent with at least 0.05 mole strong base per liter solution. The invention further relates to a process for preparing an L-amino acid by enzymatic separation of the corresponding DL-amino-acid amide with an enzyme preparation from Pseudomonas putida, in which process also uncoverted D-amino-acid amide is left behind in solution, characterized in that benzaldehyde is added to the solution, during which addition a precipitate of D-N-benzylidene amino-acid amide is being formed, this precipitate is subsequently, after being separated off, dissolved in an acetone-water mixture, 0.08-0.15 mole KOH/liter solution is subsequently added, the resulting solution is stirred for 1-20 hours at 20.degree.-60.degree. C., sulphuric acid is then added until the pH of the solution is 5 and the resulting sulphuric acid salt of the DL-amino-acid amide is finally, after isolation at pH 8-10, converted into the DL-amino-acid amide and this DL-amino-acid amide is used again.

Process for racemizing an optically active N-benzylidene amino-acid amide

The invention relates to a process for racemizing an optically active N-benzylidene amino-acid amide, characterized in that a solution of the N-benzylidene amino-acid amide is mixed in a water-miscible organic solvent with at least 0.05 mole strong base per liter solution. The invention further relates to a process for preparing an L-amino acid by enzymatic separation of the corresponding DL-amino-acid amide with an enzyme preparation from Pseudomonas putida, in which process also unconverted D-amino-acid amide is left behind in solution, characterized in that benzaldehyde is added to the solution, during which addition a precipitate of D-N-benzylidene amino-acid amide is being formed, this precipitate is subsequently, after being separated off, dissolved in an acetone-water mixture, 0.08-0.15 mole KOH/liter solution is subsequently added, the resulting solution is stirred for 1-20 hours at 20.degree.-60.degree. C., sulphuric acid is then added until the pH of the solution is 5 and the resulting sulphuric acid salt of the DL-amino-acid amide is finally, after isolation at pH 8-10, converted into the DL-amino-acid amide and this DL-amino-acid amide is used again.

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Urmond, Netherlands

Hans E Schoemaker