Amphoteric Amino Aldehydes Enable Rapid Assembly of Unprotected Amino Alcohols

Apples and oranges: The term “amphoteric” is derived from the Greek “amphoteros”, which literally means “both of two”. Amphoteric amino aldehydes are counterintuitive molecules in that they contain both electrophilic and nucleophilic centers. These small but powerful reagents can be used for the streamlined construction of complex amino alcohol scaffolds (see scheme). Their premature self‐destruction is prevented on kinetic grounds.