Component Match in Rhodium Catalyzed Three-Component Reactions of Ethyl Diazoacetate, H2O and Aryl Imines: A Highly Diastereoselective One-Step Synthesis of β-Aryl Isoserine Derivatives.

Water and ethyl diazoacetate were found to be matched components for generating highly reactive nucleophilic oxonium ylide in the presence of a dirhodium acetate catalyst. Simultaneous trapping of the oxonium ylide intermediate with aryl imines gave β-aryl isoserine derivatives with high diastereoselectivity.