“…We assumed that β-phenylated tryptophan will be suitable for this purpose. While the synthesis of β,β-diaryl α-amino acids bearing two identical aromatic groups was widely elaborated in earlier studies,9 the synthesis of these amino acids containing different aromatic groups is a more challenging endeavor. The construction of β,β-diaryl α-amino acids with different aryl substituents, ensuring full control over two vicinal stereocenters, has stimulated numerous synthetic studies in the field of asymmetric alkylation/conjugate addition,10 asymmetric hydrogenation11 and directed C–H activation 12.…”