Polymer-supported silyl enol ethers (thioketene silyl acetals) were prepared from chloromethyl copoly-(styrene-1%-divinylbenzene) resin. The silyl enol ethers reacted with imines in the presence of a catalytic amount of scandium triflate (Sc(OTf)(3)) to afford beta-amino thioesters, which were reduced to amino alcohols in good yields. These reactions provide a convenient method for the preparation of an amino alcohol library. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd