The invention provides a novel and efficient method for the elimination of protecting groups, e.g. benzyloxycarbonyl group, from a protected amino acid, peptide or derivative thereof having at least one functional group protected by a protecting group, e.g. a lower alkyl ester of N-benzyloxycarbonyl-a- L-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine by catalytic hydrogen reduction to produce free amino acid, peptide or derivative thereof. In contrast to the conventional procedures in which the reaction is carried out in a solvent dissolving both the starting compound and the product compound or a solvent dissolving the starting compound but not dissolving the product compound, the inventive method utilizes a binary two-phase reaction medium composed of water and an organic solvent not freely miscible with water such as toluene. The reaction takes place in the organic phase containing the starting compound dissolved and the catalyst dispersed therein whereas the reaction product which is watersoluble is smoothly and successively transferred into the aqueous phase so that advantages are obtained in the unexpectedly high yield of the product as well as in the easiness of handling the reaction mixture after completion of the reaction.
本发明提供了一种新颖有效的方法,通过催化氢还原法从至少有一个官能团受保护基(如
N-苄氧羰基-a-L-天冬
氨酰-
L-苯丙氨酸的低级烷基酯)保护的
氨基酸、肽或其衍
生物中消除保护基(如苄氧羰基),生成游离
氨基酸、肽或其衍
生物。与在同时溶解起始化合物和产物化合物的溶剂中进行反应或在溶解起始化合物但不溶解产物化合物的溶剂中进行反应的传统程序不同,本发明的方法利用由
水和不能与
水自由混溶的有机溶剂(如
甲苯)组成的二元两相反应介质。反应在有机相中进行,有机相中含有溶解的起始化合物和分散在其中的催化剂,而
水溶性反应产物则被顺利地连续转移到
水相中,这样就获得了出乎意料的高产率以及反应完成后易于处理反应混合物的优点。