Novel syntheses of chiral beta- and gamma-amino acid derivatives utilizing N-protected (aminoacyl)benzotriazoles from aspartic and glutamic acids.

Friedel-Crafts reactions of N-protected (alpha-aminoacyl)benzotriazoles with hetero- and benzenoid- aromatics give alpha-amino ketones that can be reduced by either triethyl silane or sodium borohydride to form the corresponding beta- and gamma-amino acid derivatives. The preservation of chirality throughout this process is confirmed by chiral HPLC results.