Aziridinium from N,N-dibenzyl serine methyl ester: synthesis of enantiomerically pure beta-amino and alpha,beta-diamino esters.

[reaction: see text] Reaction of N,N-dibenzyl-O-methylsulfonyl serine methyl ester with a variety of heteronucleophiles (sodium azide, sodium phthalimide, amines, thiols) and carbanions (sodium malonate) gave, via an aziridinium intermediate, the corresponding beta-amino or alpha,beta-diamino ester in good to excellent yield. A short synthesis of orthogonally protected and enantiomerically pure 2,3-diamino propionate (Dap) is described.