Efficient syntheses of chiral Co() complexes with 2,3-diaminopropanoic acid (A 2 pr) have been developed. In these complexes, the amino acid zwitterion [A 2 pr(H ϩ )O Ϫ ] is bound didentate through the carboxylate and N 2 -amine groups while the N 3 -ammonio group [pK a = 7.19(2)] is unprotected. Syntheses of Λ(ϩ) 578 -and ∆(Ϫ) 578 -[(en) 2 Co-(S-A 2 pr(H ϩ )O)]Cl 3 ؒH 2 O were effected stereoretentively from the similarly didentate aspartato complexes Λand ∆-[(en) 2 Co(S-Asp(OH)O)]Cl 2 in reaction sequences transforming the unbound β-carboxyl group into an amine by Curtius rearrangement. The absolute configuration of the Λ(ϩ) 578 -[(en) 2 Co(S-Asp(OH)O)](ClO 4 ) 2 complex was determined by X-ray crystallographic analysis and defined the absolute stereochemistry of diastereoisomers and derived products. Methylation of the N 3 -amine group of Λ(ϩ) 578 -[(en) 2 Co(S-A 2 pr(H ϩ )O)]Cl 3 ؒH 2 O gave the (S)-4azaleucine complex Λ(ϩ) 578 -[(en) 2 Co(S-A 2 pr(Me 2 H ϩ )O)](C 4 F 9 SO 3 ) 3 from which enantiopure (ϩ)-(S)-2-amino-3-(dimethylamino)propanoic acid dihydrochloride hemihydrate [=(ϩ)-(S)-A 2 pr(Me 2 )ؒ2HClؒ0.5H 2 O] was obtained upon reductive removal of the protecting Co(III) centre. Racemic 4-azaleucine was easily produced by an alternative, but also metal-dependent method and the intermediate rac-(p)-[(tren)Co(A 2 pr(Me 2 H ϩ )O)]Zn 2 Cl 7 ؒ3H 2 O obtained in a simple solid-phase synthesis by selective reduction of achiral (p)-[(tren)Co(2-amino-3-(dimethylamino)acrylyl chloride)] 3ϩ ion adsorbed on AG 50W-X2 cation exchange resin. The epimerization rate of the Λ-[(en) 2 Co(S-A 2 prO)] 2ϩ complex ion was first-order in [HO Ϫ ] [k E = 3.8 × 10 Ϫ2 dm 3 mol Ϫ1 s Ϫ1 , I = 1.00 M (NaClO 4 ), 25 ЊC] with the diastereoisomer ratio K C (=[Λ-R]/[Λ-S]) = 0.77(2) at equilibrium in 10 mM NaOH. However, no epimerization was observed after at least 3 hours in 6 M HCl at 45 ЊC.