A highly efficient method for the α,β-dehydrogenation of α-amino esters and α-amino-β-diesters

N-monochlorination of N-unprotected α-amino esters and α-amino-β-diesters was efficiently and very simply effected by using inexpensive effervescent sodium dichloroisocyanurate tablets for water disinfection in a biphasic organic solvent-water system. Subsequent dehydrochlorination provided α,β-didehydroaminoacid esters, whose hydrogenation would allow the starting compounds to be easily racemized.