Highly efficient chiral ester enolate-imine condensation giving 3-hydroxy-4-aryl-β-lactams with excellent enantiomeric purity is successfully applied to the asymmetric synthesis of the enantiomerically pure taxol C-13 side chain, N-benzoyl-(2R, 3S)-3-phenyl-isoserine and its analogs.(3R, 4S)-N-benzoyl-3-(1-ethoxyethoxy)-4-phenyl-2-azetidinone readily derived from the 3-hydroxy-4-phenyl-β-lactam is coupled with protected baccatin IIIs, followed by ...