The bromination of methyl acrylate was carried out in the presence of silver nitrate, which prevented formation of methyl dibromopropionate as a byproduct. Isoserine was synthesized by hydrolysis of the product of amination of methyl bromohydroxypropionate. The copper- catalyzed oxidative deamination of isoserine yielded tartronic acid semialdehyde; under these conditions, hydroxypyruvic acid was produced from serine. Other chemical ...
