Highly enantioselective synthesis of linear beta-amino alcohols.

Beta-amino alcohols derived from alpha-amino acids have been extensively used as a powerful source of chirality. Transforming the alcohol moiety into a good leaving group has allowed the rearrangement of these beta-amino alcohols and the introduction of a large number of nucleophiles through the anchimeric participation of the nitrogen atom. An overview on the recent progress realized on the rearrangement of these beta-amino alcohols in the presence of (CF(3)CO)(2)O and H(2)SO(4) is reported.