AMINOALCOHOLS .2. PREPARATION OF ENANTIOMERICALLY PURE PHARMACOLOGICALLY ACTIVE BETA-AMINOALCOHOLS

A synthesis of beta-aminoalcohols is described starting from racemic or enantiomerically pure alpha-hydroxynitriles which were O-protected using enantiomerically pure acetal type protective groups. Reduction with lithium aluminium hydride yielded O-protected beta-aminoalcohols. Whenever diastereomeric O-protected cyanohydrins could not be separated, the mixture was reduced and the resulting O-protected aminoalcohols were separated. Removal of the protective group using hydrogen chloride and methanol yielded enantiomerically pure beta-aminoalcohols or their corresponding hydrochlorides.