Abstract The amino acid derivative in the title represents an important building block for the synthesis of a number of biologically important targets such as the antiviral carbanucleosides and amidinomycin. By using asymmetric palladium-catalyzed desymmetrization of meso-2-ene-1, 4-diols, cis-1, 4-dibenzoyloxy-2-cyclopentene can be converted to the enantiomerically pure title compound in only four steps. Chemoselective ...