(R)-4-Hydroxymethyl-2-phenyl-4,5-dihydrooxazol-4-ylmethyl acetate: chiral building block for the synthesis of optically active α-substituted α-amino acid derivatives

(R)-4-Hydroxymethyl-2-phenyl-4,5-dihydrooxazol-4-ylmethyl acetate was efficiently obtained by lipase-catalyzed asymmetrization of the prochiral diol.