Abstract Ethyl (S)-3-hydroxy-3-phenylpropionate (S)-2 was obtained by the asymmetric reduction of ethyl 3-phenyl-3-oxopropionate 1 with the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae (ATCC 9080). The kinetic resolution of racemic ethyl 2-acetoxy-3-phenyl-propionate rac-3 with the same microorganism, gave after hydrolysis ethyl (R)-and (S)-3-hydroxy-3- phenylpropionates (R)-2 and (S)-2 which were converted by a straightforward series of ...
