The p-toluene-sulfinyl imines have been used for the highly diastereoselective asymmetric synthesis of α-amino acids, β-amino acids, syn- and anti-2,3-diamino esters, α-amino aldehydes and ketones, β-amino ketones, α-amino phosphonates, aziridine 2-carboxylates, and aziridine 2-phosphonates. Many of these same transformations can be carried out with tert-butylsulfinyl imines. For the asymmetric synthesis of amines, tert-butylsulfinyl imines are required as lithium and Grignard reagents react at the sulfinyl sulfur in p-toluene-sulfinyl imines. Mild acid treatment readily removes the N-sulfinyl group in the sulfinamide products affording the free amine derivatives. An advantage of tert-butylsulfinyl imines is that acid treatment of the corresponding sulfinamides leads to easily removal  by-products