The development and application of unnatural amino alcohols,prepared via hetero-Diels-Alder reactions,in synthesis and catalysis is described.The studies are concerned with the [i]scope of the hetero-Diels-Alder reaction and preparation of important intermediates in the synthesis of antiviral agents,[ii ]application of amino alcohols in the ruthenium transfer hydrogenation of ketones,[iii ]use of similar precursors in the in situ generation of oxazaborolidines for reduction of ketones,and [iv] development and application of new chiral auxiliaries for dialkylzinc additions to activated imines, respectively. [i ]The use of chiral exo -2-azanorbornyl-3-carboxylates in the preparation of enantiopure cyclopentyl-amines is described.At the same time the scope of the hetero-Diels-Alder reaction,used in their preparation,is extended by manipulations of the dienophiles. [ii ]Application of 2-azanorbornyl-3-methanol as a very efficient ligand in the ruthenium-catalysed asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of aromatic ketones.This ligand (2 mol%)in combination with [RuCl2(p -cymene)]2 (0.25 mol%)gave rise to a very fast reaction (1.5 h)leading to the reduced products in excellent yields and enantioselectivities (up to 97%ee ). [iii ]Preparation of α-disubstituded 2-azanorbornyl-3-methanols,in situ generation of the corresponding oxazaborolidines,and use of the latter in reduction of aromatic ketones.Concentration, solvent,and temperature effects on the reaction outcome are described. [iv ]Development of two generations of chiral auxiliaries for the addition of dialkylzinc reagents to N - (diphenylphosphinoyl)imines.Studies using density functional computations allowed the rationalisation of the reaction mechanism and the development of a second generation of ligands that improved the previously reported results.Up to 98%ee could be obtained with these new ligands. Solvent effects on the outcome of the reaction and extension of the work to a larger variety of N - (diphenylphosphinoyl)imines are described.