Abstract: Disclosed are processes for preparing a protected trifluorothreonine, or salt thereof or carboxylate derivative thereof, the process comprising: dihydroxylation of an alkene to yield a dihydroxyl compound; conversion of the dihydroxyl compound to a monohydroxyl compound; protection of the monohydroxyl compound to yield an azide compound; transformation of the azide compound to yield an amino compound; protection of the amino compound to yield a protected amine compound; and oxidation of the protected amine compound to yield the protected trifluorothreonine. Also disclosed are compounds having the structure: or salt thereof or carboxylate derivative thereof, wherein P2 is a hydroxyl protecting group, and wherein P3 is an amine protecting group. This abstract is intended as a scanning tool for purposes of searching in the particular art and is not intended to be limiting of the present invention.