Preparation of α- and β-substituted alanine derivatives by α-amidoalkylation or Michael addition reactions under heterogeneous catalysis assisted by microwave irradiation

Silica-supported Lewis acids are useful catalysts in conjunction with microwave irradiation for the synthesis of a range of alanine derivatives. Reaction of methyl α-acetamidoacrylate (1) with different heterocycles, such as furan (2), pyrrole (3), N-benzylpyrrole (4), indole (5) and pyrazole (6) and the carbocycle 1,3,5-trihydroxybenzene (7), led to several α-amino acid precursors.