Reactions of substituted aspirins with amino acids

Acyl transfers are key reactions in biology and in the laboratory. In biological systems they are involved in energy transport, in the assembly of complex molecules and in the mechanisms of efficient action of many hydrolytic enzymes. We report a mechanistic and calculational study of the selective N‐acylation reactions of amino acids by substituted aspirins, under mild conditions, in water at 25 °C. The acetylated amino‐acid products of the reactions were identified by nuclear magnetic resonance, and the reaction steps were studied by density functional theory. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. We report a mechanistic and calculational study of the selective N‐acylation reactions of amino acids by substituted aspirins, under mild conditions, in water at 25°C. The acetylated amino‐acid products of the reactions were identified by NMR, and the reaction steps were studied by Density Functional Theory.