A general procedure for the synthesis of enantiopure β-substituted, β-amino acids is presented. Alkylation of the sodium enolates derived from chiral N-acyloxazolidinone imides 2 (R = Me, i-Pr, t-Bu, Ph, Bn) with tert-butyl bromoacetate afforded the 2-substituted succinate derivatives 3 in good yields (82−89%) and with high selectivity (≥93:7). Following hydrolysis, Curtius rearrangement of the resulting carboxylic acid provided the enantiopure benzyloxycarbonyl (Cbz)-protected β-amino esters 6 in good yields (74−79%).

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