Triethanolamine → (R)-1-(4-tert-butoxyphenyl)ethylamine

(R)—N-1-(4-tert-Butoxyphenyl)ethylmethoxyacetamide from example 1.3 (180 g with a purity of 94%; corresponds to 0.64 mol of pure substance) was mixed with triethanolamine (20 ml) with stirring and then admixed with 50% NaOH (70.8 g, 0.89 mol). The mixture was then stirred at a bath temperature of 140° C. for another seven hours, after which all of the amide had been converted according to GC. The mixture was diluted with water (100 ml), cooled and extracted with tert-butyl methyl ether (3×100 ml). The combined extracts were washed with saturated sodium chloride solution (50 ml) and dried over Na2SO4. After the solvent had been removed on a rotary evaporator, 123.7 g (73%) of (R)-1-(4-tert-butoxyphenyl)ethylamine were obtained in the form of a pale brownish oil. The chemical purity was 99.4%, the optical purity 98.9% ee.