The enantioselectivities for the reactions of aliphatic β-substituted β-amino esters [RCH (NH2) CH2CO2Et with R= Me, Et, n-Pr, i-Pr, CHEt2, cyclohexyl and Ph] with butyl butanoate in neat butyl butanoate and with 2, 2, 2-trifluoroethyl butanoate in diisopropyl ether were studied in the presence of Candida antarctica lipase A. Enantioselectivities ranging from good (E= 70–100) to excellent (E> 100) were commonly observed, allowing gram-scale ...