Preparation of 4-amino-2,4-dioxobutanoic acid

1. A process for synthesizing 4-amino-2,4-dioxobutanoic acid, comprising:

reacting diethyl oxalate with sodium alkoxide in a suitable alcohol solvent to form a reaction mixture, and afterward

adding ethyl cyanoacetate to the reaction mixture and allowing a reaction to proceed under conditions suitable to form a first reaction product of the formula diethyl-2-cyano-3-hydroxy-butenedioate,

isolating said first reaction product,

reacting said first reaction product with aqueous sodium hydroxide under conditions suitable to form 4-amino-2,4-dioxobutanoic acid.

2. A process for synthesizing 4-amino-2,4-dioxobutanoic acid, comprising:

reacting diethyl oxalate with sodium alkoxide in a first suitable solvent to form a reaction mixture, and afterward

adding ethyl cyanoacetate to the reaction mixture, and afterward

extracting the reaction mixture with a suitable organic solvent and water to form an organic layer and an aqueous layer, then

separating the aqueous layer from the organic layer, then

acidifying the aqueous layer and extracting the acidified aqueous layer with additional suitable organic solvent to form a second aqueous layer and a second organic layer, then

combining the first and second organic layers, and

isolating diethyl-2-cyano-3-hydroxy-butenedioate from the organic layers, then

reacting the diethyl-2-cyano-3-hydroxy-butenedioate with aqueous sodium hydroxide under conditions suitable to form 4-amino-2,4-dioxobutanoic acid.

3. The process of claim 2 , wherein the suitable organic solvent for extracting the reaction mixture is dichloromethane.

4. The process of claim 1 wherein said suitable alcohol solvent is ethanol.

5. The process of claim 2 wherein said first suitable solvent is ethanol.

6. The process of claim 3 wherein said first suitable solvent is ethanol.

7. The process of claim 1 wherein said sodium alkoxide is sodium ethoxide.

8. The process of claim 2 wherein said sodium alkoxide is sodium ethoxide.

9. The process of claim 3 wherein said sodium alkoxide is sodium ethoxide.

10. The process of claim 4 wherein said sodium alkoxide is sodium ethoxide.

11. The process of claim 5 wherein said sodium alkoxide is sodium ethoxide.

12. The process of claim 6 wherein said sodium alkoxide is sodium ethoxide.

13. The process of claim 7 wherein said suitable alcohol solvent is ethanol.

14. The process of claim 8 wherein said first suitable solvent is ethanol.

15. The process of claim 9 wherein said first suitable solvent is ethanol.