Treatment of epoxy derivative 1, readily available from N-hydroxyphthalimide and epibromohydrin, with an ex-cess of tert-butylamine in MeOH failed to give the ex-pected amino alcohol 3. Instead, compound 4a was formed in excellent yield in a few minutes. The'H NMR spectra of 4a lacked a tert-butyl group but contained a methyl