Two new cinchona phasetransfercatalysts are prepared from dihydrocinchonidine using 13-picenylmethyl bromide and 1-pyrenylmethyl bromide, respectively. A total contrast in catalytic efficiency is observed during the asymmetric alkylation of glycinate esters; with one catalyst, the reaction is either incomplete or the enantioselectivity is very poor (15% ee) while the other catalyst afforded high