| abstract |
improved process and method for preparing ionic amino acid esters. The present invention relates to the field of organic chemistry and relates to a process of synthesizing ionic amino acid esters using a single glass reactor or steel reactor with a venting attachment; which allows chemical reactions to be performed under autogenous pressure without danger providing high yields over conventional synthesis methods such as pressurized flasks, ultrasound and microwaves. These compounds are of great interest because of the wide variety of applications, particularly, but not exclusively, used as biosurfactants for disrupting mixed oil-in-water, water-in-oil emulsions; or in washing the crude oil contained in the contaminated soil. Ionic amino acid esters can be obtained in a single reaction stage or "a pot" following the green chemistry statements by simultaneously esterifying and protonating the amino group to generate an ammonium cation group. Additionally, none or a minimum amount of residue is generated as all reagents are part of the product, and their purification is easier or unnecessary since the atom economy is between 86 and 95% according to green chemistry principles. . |