Carbon-labelled α-amino acids are valuable compounds in drug development and nuclear medicine, but are difficult and time consuming to prepare. Now, an aldehyde-catalysed method has been developed for the direct C1-labelling of α-amino acids using *CO2 (* = 14, 13, 11), providing access to many proteinogenic and non-natural labelled α-amino acids.
- Odey Bsharat
- Michael G. J. Doyle
- Rylan J. Lundgren