4-Oxoazetidin-2-ylphosphonates and phosphinates, obtained from Arbusov reactions of 4- acetoxyazetidin-2-one and 4α-acetoxy-3β-phthalimido-2-one with a variety of phosphites and phosphonites, were hyrdolysed to β-phosphono-and β-phosphino β-alanine (phosphono-and phosphinoaspartic acid) derivatives. In model studies for their incorporation in peptides, conditions for the selective removal of protecting groups for ...