Three secondary alcohols, 1-phenoxy-, 1-phenylmethoxy-and 1-(2-phenylethoxy)-2- propanol, have been resolved by transesterification with the acyl donors 2-chloroethyl butanoate, 2, 2, 2-trichloroethyl butanoate, vinyl butanoate and butanoic anhydride using lipase B from Candida antarctica as catalyst in hexane. The enantiomer ratio E, which was calculated on the basis of a ping-pong bi-bi mechanism, was highest when 2-chloroethyl ...