Bucherer-Bergs Reaction

H. T. Bucherer, H. T. Fischbeck, J. Prakt. Chem. 140, 69 (1934); H. T. Bucherer, W. Steiner, ibid. 291; H. Bergs, DE 566094 (1929).

Preparation of hydantoin from carbonyl compounds by reaction with potassium cyanide and ammonium carbonate, or from the corresponding cyanohydrin and ammonium carbonate:

E. Ware, Chem. Rev. 46, 422 (1950); A. Rousset et al., Tetrahedron 36, 2649 (1980). Modified conditions: R. Sarges et al., J. Med. Chem. 33, 1859 (1990). Synthetic applications to excitatory amino acids: K.-I. Tanaka et al., Tetrahedron Asymmetry 6, 1641, 2271 (1995); C. Domínguez et al., ibid. 8, 511 (1997); J. Knabe, Pharmazie 52, 912 (1997). Cf. Strecker Amino Acid Synthesis; Urech Cyanohydrin Method.