A vanadium-catalyzed method for the oxidative kinetic resolution of α-hydroxyesters, using oxygen as the terminal oxidant, is described. The catalyst is generated in situ from vanadium (V) tri-iso-propoxyoxide in combination with a tridentate ligand derived from 3, 5-di-tert- butylsalicylaldehyde and (S)-tert-leucinol. The reaction allows for the enantioselective synthesis of both aromatic and aliphatic secondary alcohols, including those containing ...