Cyclization by the intermediates of phenylthio- and phenoxy carbamoyl. Formation of azasuccinic anhydrides and their polycondensation products. Intervention of the carbamoyl pyridinium cation

The N-(p-nitrophenoxy-carbonyl) derivatives of glycine, DL -alanine and DL -leucine are transformed by the action of pyridine into azasuccinic, 3-methyl-2-azasuccinic and 3-isobutyl-2-azasuccinic anhydride, respectively. These cyclisations occur probably via the intermediate N-carbamoyl-pyridinium cation , the rate of cyclisation seems to depend on the concentration of the intermediate in the form of the dipolar ion , i.e. the ionised carboxyl is necessary for the reaction. In γ-collidine the cyclisation occurs very slowly; this is attributed to the slowness due to steric hindrance of the production of N-carbamoyl-γ-collidinium cation and its instability. The azasuccinic anhydrides mentioned polycondense, yielding the corresponding polyglycine, poly-DL -alanine and poly-DL -leucine. This reaction too is catalysed by pyridine; it can also be effected by γ-collidine, but the efficacity of the latter in comparison with pyridine is even less than in the catalysis of the cyclisation described above. N-(p-nitrophenoxy-carbonyl)-glycine reacts with lysozyme in the presence of pyridine; several glycine residues are introduced into the enzyme molecule, the product being insoluble and poorly active.