To make use of the host-guest inclustion interaction involving urea and aliphatic aldehyde, urea was employed as a reversible phase transfer catalyst (RPTC). In the presence of forward phase transfer catalyst (FPTC) (CTMAB) and RPTC binary catalyst system, aliphatic-α- amino acids were synthesized in a one-pot manner from aliphatic aldehydes, potassium hydroxide, ammonia and chloroform. This new synthetic method is simples, convenient, with temperate and the reaction conditions are mind without involving toxic reagents such as cyanides used in Strecker method.

Key words: AMINO ACID, ALIPHATIC COMPOUNDS, ALIPHATIC ALDEHYDES, CHLOROFORM, POTASSIUM HYDROXIDE, AMMONIA WATER, UREA