The title compound (S)-t~-methylserinal acetonide has been efficiently prepared from (S)-α-methylserine, which is readily available in enantiomerically pure form by Curtius rearrangement of α-α-dialkyl 2-cyanoesters obtained by diastereoselective alkylation of (1S,2R,4R)-lO-dicyclohexylsulfamoylisobomyl 2-cyanopropanoate using methoxymethyl iodide or paraformaldehyde as electrophiles by an extension of our recently developed methodology for the synthesis of α-α-dialkylamino acids.

This work was made possible by the generous financial support of the Dirección General de Investigación Científica y Técnica, project number PB94-0578. Y. L. would like to express her gratitude to the Ministerio de Educacion y Cultura for a grant.

Peer reviewed