A glycine/(NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 mixture was isolated by treatment of glyoxylic acid with FeSO 4 and aqNH 3 in H 2 O. The yields of glycine were estimated by 1 H NMR. Pyruvic acid was not reduced to alanine under these conditions. This method for forming glycine might have occurred prebiotically alongside the Urey-Miller arc discharge method for making amino acids because glyoxylic acid is formed by arc discharge through a N 2 /CO 2 atmosphere and both NH 3 and Fe(II) occurred in the earth's early oceans. The carboxylic acid directs the reduction of 2,4-dinitrobenzoic acid to give 2-amino-4-nitrobenzoic acid.
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