For the first time, homo-Mannich reactions with unmasked homoenolates have been achieved by adding homoenolate precursor 1 and imines 5. The key to this reaction is the right choice of the Lewis acids - Cu(OTf) 2 proved to be most suitable for preparing the homoenolate and activation of the imine. An asymmetric catalytic version of this reaction is provided by using chiral, non-racemic phenyl-derived
derived from α-aminoesters is achieved through an aza-Wittig reaction of phosphazenes with β,γ-unsaturated α-ketoesters. Regioselective 1,2-reduction of these functionalized 1-azadienes affords vinylglycine derivatives, while conjugative 1,4-reduction gives α-dehydroamino acid compounds. Reduction of both the carbon−carbon and the imine−carbon−nitrogen double bonds leads to the formation of α-amino acid