Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)The Heck-Matsuda arylation of 2-aza and 2-oxo-substituted acrylates is described. Several reaction conditions were evaluated including the influence of solvents, temperature, catalysts, and stoichiometry. While the oxygenated system was successfully arylated in benzonitrile with Pd(2)(dba)(3) as catalyst, the aza-acrylate furnished methoxylated products. The methoxylated products were subjected to an elimination/reduction protocol to obtain the corresponding N,O-protected phenylalanine derivatives. A one-pot procedure for the preparation of phenylalanine derivatives from 2-aza-substituted acrylates is presented. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.5214245Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)