Use of bis-(chiral alpha-methylbenzyl)glycine esters for synthesis of enantiopure beta-hydroxyamino esters.

Aldol reactions using bis-(chiral α-methylbenzyl)glycine esters with aldehydes gave excellent diastereoselectivity. Thus, an enantiopure ribosylglycine was prepared for the synthesis of analogues of the natural antibiotics muraymycin. This method was extended for formation of β-hydroxyamino esters.