A simple and practical procedure is described of preparing N-acetylphenylalanines by hydrogenation of the corresponding unsaturated azlactones in an aqueous sodium hydroxide solution with Raney nickel under pressure. By this method N-acetyl derivatives of phenylalanine, p-methylphenylalanine, p-methoxyphenylalanine and 3, 4- methylenedioxyphenylalanine were synthesized in good yield.
