Crotonate esters, to protect alcohols

A new strategy for the synthesis of heterocyclic a-amino acids utilizing the Hantzsch dihydropyridine synthesis was developed in the laboratory of A. Dondoni." ° The enantiopure oxazolidinyl keto ester was condensed with benzaldehyde and fert-butyl amino crotonate in the presence of molecular sieves in 2-methyl-2-propanol to give a 85% yield of diastereomeric 1,4-dihydropyridines. The acetonide protecting group was removed and the resulting amino alcohol was oxidized to the target 2-pyridyl a-alanine derivative. 

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