This review focuses on the introduction and early development, in solution, of phase-transfer catalyzed (PTC) reactions to afford racemic or enantioenriched natural and unnatural amino acids. To form monosubstituted amino acids alkylation reactions are performed on the benzophenone Schiff base of glycine. For α,α-disubstituted amino acids the activated intermediate is an aldimine derivative of the monosubstituted amino acid. Enantioenriched products are produced by organocatalysis using derivatives of Cinchona alkaloids as the phasetransfer catalyst. Selectivity for monoalkylatation and lack of product racemization depend on the acidities of the glycine imines, and dialkylated products are formed from aldimine esters of monoalkyl amino acids. The racemic and catalytic enantioselective reactions of a cationic glycine equivalent with organoboranes, organometallics and malonate anion are discussed as are other reactions of these versatile Schiff bases derivatives. Keywords Amino Acid Synthesis Unnatural Amino Acids Phase-Transfer Catalysis (PTC) Asymmetric Synthesis Benzophenone Schiff Bases Imines of Amino Acid Derivatives Organocatalysis Racemic and Stereoselective Reactions Glycine and Other Amino Acid Anion Equivalents Glycine Cation Equivalents Contents 10 9. Synthesis of α-methyl histidine by two complementary routes 11 10. PTC mono-or dialkylation with potassium carbonate 12 11. Intra-and intermolecular PTC dialkylations of a glycine equivalent 12 12. Acidities (pKa) of imine derivatives of glycine: Insights into alkylations 13 ___________________________________________________________________ This is the author's manuscript of the article published in final edited form as: O'Donnell, M. J. (2019). Benzophenone Schiff bases of glycine derivatives: Versatile starting materials for the synthesis of amino acids and their derivatives. Tetrahedron.