The diastereoselective addition of triorganozincates to (R)-N-(tert-butanesulfinyl) imines has been used as a key step to achieve the synthesis of highly enantiomerically enriched N- protected α-and β-amino acids. Desulfinylation of the addition products followed by benzoylation of the nitrogen atom of the obtained primary amines and oxidation of one of the substituents on the carbon atom connected to the nitrogen complete the sequence. Using ...
