| abstract |
The invention concerns a method for partial or total inversion of the configuration of an amine enantiomer wherein the nitrogen of the amino group is directly bound to an asymmetric carbon atom bearing a hydrogen atom. The method consists in reacting a thiol with said amine, in an inert organic solvent or in aqueous medium, in the presence of a free-radical initiator, the thiol being such that the energy of the C-H bond of the asymmetric carbon of the amine is of the same order of magnitude and the energy of the S-H bond of the thiol. The invention is useful for the racemization of an enantiomer, for obtaining a given enantiomer from the racemate or from the inverse enantiomer. |