First One-Pot Copper-Catalyzed Synthesis of α-Hydroxy-β-Amino Acids in Water. A New Protocol for Preparation of Optically Active Norstatines

α-Hydroxy-β-amino acids were synthesized with excellent yields for the first time in water and by a simple procedure based on a copper catalytic cycle, which included the recovery and reuse of the catalyst and is possible to realize by using only water as reaction medium.