A highly enantioselective synthesis of cyclic α-amino acids involving a one-pot, single catalyst, tandem hydrogenation-hydroformylation sequence

Tandem enantioselective hydrogenation followed by a hydroformylation–cyclisation sequence leading to cyclic α-amino acids with ee’s >95% can be achieved in a single pot, one catalyst system by successive reactions of prochiral dienamide esters with H2 followed by H2/CO using Rh(I)-DuPHOS.