Asymmetric Synthesis of α-Amino Acids by Organocatalytic Biomimetic Transamination.

A biomimetic enantioselective transamination of α-keto ester derivatives can be realized under mild conditions by using chiral quaternary ammonium arenecarboxylates in the absence of base additives. The corresponding α-amino acids can be used as versatile intermediates for further synthetic transformations that furnish chiral pyrrolidine and octahydroindolizine derivatives.