A Novel Route for the Synthesis of Recemic 4-(Coumaryl) Alanines and Their Antimicrobial Activity

4-Bromomethyl coumarins (3) when reacted with diethyl acetamidomalonate (4) in presence of sodium hydride afforded the intermediate compounds 5. Compounds 5 on hydrolysis with 48 % HBr resulted in hydrobromide salt of corresponding alanine derivatives (6). Free alanines (7) were obtained by neutralizing with ammonia solution. The resulting alanine derivatives (7) were characterised by IR, NMR and mass spectroscopic techniques and further screened for their antimicrobial activity.