A new type of chiral pyridoxamines bearing an adjacent chiral stereocenter has been developed via multi-step synthesis. The pyridoxamines displayed catalytic activity in asymmetric transamination of α-keto acids to give a variety of optically active amino acids in 27–78% yields with 34–62% ee’s under very mildconditions. This work provides a synthetic strategy to construct newchiral pyridoxamines
21 (Z)-alpha-N-benzoylamino-beta-arylacrylic acids and their esters were prepared by known procedures and hydrogenated to the corresponding optically active alpha-benzoyl-beta-arylalanine derivatives with optical yields in the range of 82-95% ee using the cationic rhodium complex of ''PROPRAPHOS'' as the chiral catalyst No electronical influences of the substituents at the aryl moiety on the enantioselectivity were observed but a sterical one, proved by X-ray crystallographic analysis and computer-aided modellings. Deacylation of the hydrogenated spezies produced the hydrochlorides of the 3-arylalanines attended by a partial racemisation In this case the hydrogenation of urethane type protected dehydroaminoacid derivatives seems to be the alternative.