A new strategy for the synthesis of optically pure beta-fluoroalkyl beta-amino acid derivatives.

The first general approach for the diastereoselective formation of a variety of optically pure anti-beta-fluoroalkyl beta-amino acid derivatives is described. The process relies on the stereocontrolled reaction, mediated by a remote sulfoxide, of fluorinated imines with sulfinylated benzyl carbanions, which are used as synthetic equivalents of chiral ester enolates.