A highly enantioselective four-component reaction for the efficient construction of chiral beta-hydroxy-alpha-amino acid derivatives

An enantioselective four-component reaction of a diazoketone, water, an aniline and ethyl glyoxylate in the presence of catalytic Rh-2(OAc)(4) and a chiral Bronsted acid was developed to efficiently produce beta-hydroxy-alpha-amino acid derivatives in good yields with high diastereoselectivity and enantioselectivity.