Abstract
THE current theory on the mode of action of fluoroacetate1 implies the lethal synthesis of fluoro-citrate which poisons the enzyme aconitase, thus preventing the catabolism of citrate to aconitate; it seemed of interest to prepare and study α-fluoroaconitic acid, HOOC.CHF.C(COOH)=CH.COOH. Triethyl fluorocitrate, which would appear to be a suitable starting material, has been prepared in a facile reaction, namely, by the Reformatzky reaction between diethyl oxalofluoroacetate and ethyl bromoacetate2, but our attempts to dehydrate this compound failed to give a defined product.
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References
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BERGMANN, E., SHAHAK, I. Triethyl α-Fluoroaconitate. Nature 185, 529–530 (1960). https://doi.org/10.1038/185529b0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/185529b0
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