THE CHEMICAL CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITS 103 



A better method of synthesizing serine was described by Leuchs 

 and Geiger in 1906, and was carried out as follows, starting from chlor* 

 acetal : 



/OC 3 H 5 NaOC 3 H 5 /OC 2 H 5 H 2 



C1.CH 2 .CHC > C 2 H 5 O.CH 2 .CH< - 



\OC 2 H 5 \OC 2 H 5 



Chloracetal Ethoxylacetal 



HCN 

 C 2 H 5 .O.CH a .CHO ^ C 2 H 5 .O.CH 2 .CH(NH 2 )CN ^ 



NH 3 

 Ethoxylacetaldehyde Ethoxylacetaldehyde-aminonitrile 



Cone. 



C 2 H 5 .O.CH 2 .CH(NH 2 )COOH -> HO. CH 2 .CH(NH 2 )COOH 



HBr 



Ethoxylaminopropionic acid Serine 



