[flumen22]

When making Hippuric acid from glycine, NaOH, and Benzoyl Chloride; why do the glycine and the NaOH base have to be mixed before adding the benzoyl choride? What purpose does the NaOH have in the overall reaction?

Thanks for any *delete me*

[sjb]

What is the structure of glycine?

[flumen22]

http://www.chm.bris.ac.uk/webprojects2006/Lovelock/800px-Glycine-skeletal.png

It's basically this, except the NH2 is actually NH3⁺ and the OH is actually a H^-

[Doc Oc]

You answered your own question (sort of).  In a neutral environment the amine of glycine will be protonated because the pKa is above the pH of water.  That means the lone pair is tied up with a proton, so you add the NaOH to make the environment basic enough to free that lone pair so it can attack the benzoyl chloride.