This paper describes an efficient methodology for the synthesis of useful chiral substances from the readily available α-amino acids isoleucine, norleucine, and leucine. Although isoleucine is unique among the 20 genetically coded amino acids in having both a branched carbon chain and two stereocenters, it has not been used as a platform for generating more complex α-amino acids by the selective introduction of new substituents. We envisaged that such α-amino ...