Phenylglycine is the organic compound with the formula C<sub>6</sub>H<sub>5</sub>CH(NH<sub>2</sub>)CO<sub>2</sub>H. It is a non-proteinogenic alpha amino acid related to alanine, but with a phenyl group in place of the methyl group. It is a white solid. The compound exhibits some biological activity.
It is prepared from benzaldehyde by amino cyanation (Strecker synthesis). It can also be prepared from glyoxal and by reductive amination of phenylglyoxylic acid.
The ester methyl ñâÂÂphenylglycinate is used to convert carboxylic acids into homologated unsaturated ketones. These reactions proceed via cyclization of phenylglycinamides to oxazolones, which can be reductively cleaved with chromous reagents.