Authored by two internationally recognized experts with an excellent track record, this much-needed reference summarizes latest research in the rapidly developing field of stereoselective synthesis of enantiomerically enriched amino acids, particularly of non-proteinogenic origin. It highlights several different catalytic and stoichiometric asymmetric methods for their synthesis and also provides information on origin, biological properties, different synthetic strategies and important applications in medicine and pharmacology.
Essential reading for synthetic chemists working in the field of asymmetric synthesis, natural products and peptide synthesis, stereochemistry, medicinal chemistry, biochemistry, pharmacology, and biotechnology.

Ashot Saghyan is Director of the Scientific and Production Center 'Armbiotechnology' of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia. In 1985, he accomplished his post-graduate studies under the supervision of Prof. Yu. N. Belokon' at the A.N. Nesmeyanov Institute of Organoelement Compounds of the Academy of Sciences of the Soviet Union. In 1997, he defended his doctoral thesis. He has been working for the Institute of Biotechnology first as a researcher, head of the Laboratory of Asymmetric Synthesis and since 2000 as director. At the same time he is head of the Pharmaceutical Chemistry Department of Yerevan State University (since 2003). In 2006, he was elected Corresponding Member and, in 2010, Full Member of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia. Saghyan has authored over 400 scientific publications and has received a number of scientific awards, e.g. European R. Descartes Prize. He is a long-term editor-in-chief of the Chemical Journal of Armenia.

Peter Langer studied chemistry at the University of Hannover and at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT, USA). In February 1997 he obtained his Dr. rer. nat. at the University of Hannover. During a postdoctoral period in Cambridge (UK) he worked on the synthesis of oligosaccharides. In 1998 he moved to the University of Gottingen where he completed his habilitation in July 2001. In April 2002 he took a permanent position as a full professor (C4) at
the University of Greifswald. In December 2004 Peter Langer moved to a new position as a full professor (C4) at the University of Rostock. Since July 2005 he is
also affiliated to the Leibniz-Institute of Catalysis e. V. at the University of Rostock (LIKAT) as the head of the division `organic synthesis'. Prof. Langer is coauthor
of more than 600 research papers and reviews. His research is focused on the development of new synthetic methods and their application to the synthesis of biologically relevant ring systems. Professor Langer received several prestigious scholarships (Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes, Feodor-Lynen-scholarship, Liebig scholarship, Heisenberg-scholarship), international awards, and honorary doctorates of several universities. In 2015 Peter Langer has been elected foreign member of the National Academy of Science of Armenia.

1;Cover????????????????????????;1 2;Title Page??????????????????????????????????;5 3;Copyright????????????????????????????????;6 4;Contents??????????????????????????????;7 5;List of Abbreviations????????????????????????????????????????????????????????;11 6;Introduction??????????????????????????????????????;13 7;Chapter 1 Non-Proteinogenic ??????-Amino Acids, Natural Origin, Biological Functions;17 7.1;References??????????????????????????????????;36 8;Part I Natural Synthesis of Amino Acids, Mechanisms, and Modeling;41 8.1;References??????????????????????????????????;41 8.2;Chapter 2 Some Regularities of Mechanisms for the Natural Synthesis of Amino Acids??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????;43 8.2.1;References??????????????????????????????????;49 8.3;Chapter 3 Systems for Modeling Some Aspects of Pyridoxal Enzyme Action??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????;51 8.3.1;References??????????????????????????????????;56 8.4;Chapter 4 Modeling of Processes Associated with Cleavage of C??????-H and C??????-C?????? Bonds;59 8.4.1;References??????????????????????????????????;66 8.5;Chapter 5 Modeling of ??????,??????-Elimination Processes of PP-Catalysis, Kinetics, and Stereochemistry;67 8.5.1;References??????????????????????????????????;76 8.6;Chapter 6 Biomimetic Addition Reaction of Nucleophiles to CoIII Complexes of Dehydroaminobutyric Acid????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????;77 8.6.1;References??????????????????????????????????;80 9;Part II Asymmetric Synthesis of Nonprotein ??????-Amino Acids;81 9.1;Chapter 7 The Main Rules of Asymmetric Synthesis??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????;83 9.1.1;References??????????????????????????????????;86 9.2;Chapter 8 Catalytic Asymmetric Synthesis??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????;87 9.2.1;8.1 Achiral NiII Complexes of Schiff Bases of Amino Acids????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????;106 9.2.1.1;8.1.1 The Alkylation of Achiral NiII Complexes Under Phase-Transfer Catalysis????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????;110 9.2.1.2;8.1.2 Reactions of 1,4-Michael Addition to Achiral Glycine and Dehydroalanine Complexes????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????;113 9.2.1.3;8.1.3 Synthesis of Enantiomerically Enriched ??????-Amino Acids;119 9.2.1.3.1;8.1.3.1 The Asymmetric Alkylation of Substrate 65a by Alkyl Halides Under Phase-Transfer Catalysis??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????;119 9.2.1.3.2;8.1.3.2 Asymmetric Aldol Condensation of Achiral NiII Complexes of Amino Acids??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????;127 9.2.1.3.3;8.1.3.3 The Asymmetric Michael Addition of Achiral NiII Substrates to Electron-Withdrawing Compounds???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????