The kinetic resolution of racemic 1-(benzothiazol-2-yl) ethanol rac-2a, 1-(benzo [b] thiophen- 2-yl) ethanol rac-2b, 1-(benzo [b] furan-3-yl) ethanol rac-2c and 1-(benzo [b] thiophen-3-yl) ethanol rac-2d was studied by enantiomer selective acylation catalyzed by a selection of commercially available and in house produced lipases. Alcoholysis of the corresponding racemic acetates rac-3a–d catalyzed by Candida antarctica lipase B (CaLB) was also ...