Chapter 4, Problem 10P

Answers to all problems are at the end of this book. Detailed solutions are available in the Student Solutions Manual, Study Guide, and Problems Book.

Understanding Stereochemical Transformations of Amino Acids

Absolute configurations of the amino acids are referenced to D- and L-glyceraldehyde on the basis of chemical transformations that can convert the molecule of interest to either of these reference isomeric structures. In such reactions, the stereochemical consequences for the asymmetric centers must be understood for each reaction step.

Propose a sequence of reactions that would demonstrate that L(-)-serine is stereochemically related to l(- )-glyceraldehyde.