Deutsche Gold- Und Silber-Scheideanstalt Vormals Roessler

Karl-Heinz Gulzek

Heribert Offermanns

Friedrich Asinger

Penicillamine or a homolog thereof is made by reacting an aldehyde branched at the .alpha.-carbon atom, sulfur and ammonia to form a thiazoline- .DELTA..sup.3 ; converting the latter compound by reaction with anhydrous hydrogen cyanide into the corresponding thiazolidine-4-carbonitrile; hydrolyzing the nitrile with an aqueous concentrated hydrochloric acid containing at least 30% by weight of hydrogen chloride at a temperature between 40.degree. and 70.degree. C to form the hydrochloric salt of the thiazolidine-4-acid amide and then, at a higher temperature continuing the hydrolysis to form the salt of the thiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid together with the ammonium salt. The ammonium salt is then separated from the mixture and the carboxylic acid hydrochloride is hydrolytically decomposed whereby the penicillamine is obtained.

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Alpen, Germany

Karl-Heinz Gulzek