Patent ID: 8034969

Claim:
A process of synthesizing N—[N-(3,3-dimethylbutyl)-L-α-aspartyl]-L-phenylalanine 1-methyl ester comprising the steps of: hydrolyzing a trimer of 3,3-dimethylbutyraldehyde with an acid in a solvent to produce 3,3-dimethylbutyraldehyde in situ; and reacting the 3,3-dimethylbutyraldehyde produced in situ with L-α-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine 1-methyl ester in the presence of a catalyst and hydrogen for a time and at a temperature sufficient to produce N—[N-(3,3-dimethylbutyl)-L-α-aspartyl]-L-phenylalanine 1-methyl ester.