小中大To a solution of 3- amino-3-phenylpropionic acid (1.98 g, 12.0 mmol) in THF/H20 (1: 1,40 mL), was added NaOH (1.06 g, 26.4 mmol), and the resulting solution was stirred at rt for 30 min. Di-tert-butyl dicarbonate (2.9 g, 13.2 mmol) was added, and the solution was stirred at rt for 20 h. The solution was concentrated under reduced pressure, diluted with H20 (100 mL), and extracted with Et20 (2 X 150 mL). The aqueous layer was acidified using 1 N HCI, and extracted with EtOAc (2 X 200 mL). The combined organic extracts were washed with brine (200 mL), dried (Na2SO4) and filtered, and the solvent was removed to afford 2.65 g (83percent) of the desired product as a tan solid. MS (electrospray) : mass calculated for C14H19NO4, 265.13 ; m/zfound, 553.3 [2M+Na] +. 1H NMR (400 MHz, CD30D) : 7.37-7. 26 (m, 5H), 5.51 (br s, 1 H), 5.05 (br m, 1 H), 2.98-2. 74 (m, 2H), 1.44 (s, 9H).