Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Using Morita-Baylis-Hillman adducts as substrates, the Curtius rearrangement was performed in a sequence that allowed the synthesis of several hydroxy-ketones (acyloins) with great structural diversity and in good overall yields. These acyloins in turn were easily transformed into 1,2-anti aminoalcohols through a highly diastereoselective reductive amination step. The synthetic utility of these approaches was exemplified by performing the syntheses of (+/-)-bupropion, a drug used to treat the abstinence syndrome of smoker and (+/-)-spisulosine, a potent anti-tumoral compound originally isolated from a marine source.2281568U330Conselho 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)