The reaction of epoxides with chiral nonracemic lithium amide bases, designed and prepared from (R)-phenylglycine, has been studied in detail. A maximum of 80% ee was obtained for conversion of cyclohexene oxide to (S)-2-cyclohexen-1-ol. Enantioselective deprotonation of a variety of other epoxides was studied. A cyclopentanoid core unit for prostaglandin synthesis was synthesized in 97% ee.
