Recent Advances in the Catalytic Asymmetric Synthesis of β2- and β2,2-Amino Acids

The importance of beta-amino acids for peptidomimetics and their presence in numerous natural products and pharmaceuticals make the development of the corresponding synthetic procedures a task of high practical significance. Herein, we focus on the recent developments in the catalytic asymmetric synthesis of beta(2)- and beta(2,2)-amino acids. The examples are arranged according to strategic bond disconnections. Despite the abundance of feasible approaches, only a handful of reaction types can effectively furnish beta(2)- and beta(2,2)-amino acid derivatives with sufficient enantioselectivity suitable for peptide applications. These include asymmetric hydrogenation or conjugate addition of acrylates, alpha-functionalization of beta-amino acid enolate precursors, and aminomethylation of carbonyl compounds. Hence, future research directions are discussed considering these literature precedents.