Synthesis of N-phthalimido β-aminoethanesulfonyl chlorides: the use of thionyl chloride for a simple and efficient synthesis of new peptidosulfonamide building blocks

N-Phthalimido β-aminoethanesulfonyl chlorides, new building blocks for the synthesis of peptidosulfonamide peptidomimetics, were prepared in a straightforward manner from amino acids. In the crucial synthetic step, sulfonic acids or their sodium salts were converted into the corresponding sulfonyl chlorides using an excess of refluxing thionyl chloride or thionyl chloride/DMF. This simple and effective chlorinating method is also applicable to β-aminoethane sulfonic acids and their sodium salts with other N-protecting groups.