Nonenzymatic phosphorylation of acetate by carbamyl phosphate

It is found that carbamyl phosphate is an efficient condensing agent for acetate and hydroxylamine in the presence of Be²⁺ and Al³⁺. The reaction has an optimum at pH 4 and is completed within 30 min. The yield of hydroxamate formation reaches 30% (based on initial carbamyl phosphate). Acetylphosphate as the intermediary product of this reaction was identified by P-NMR spectroscopy.