To a solution of 75.0 g (0.226 mol) of N-benzyloxycarbonyl-L-phenylalanine chloromethyl ketone in a mixture of 807 mL of methanol and 807 mL of tetrahydrofuran at -2° C., was added 13.17 g (0.348 mol, 1.54 equiv.) of solid sodium borohydride over one hundred minutes. The solvents were removed in vacuo at 40° C. and the residue dissolved in ethyl acetate (approx. 1 L). The solution was washed sequentially with 1M potassium hydrogen sulfate, saturated sodium bicarbonate and then saturated sodium chloride solutions. After drying over anhydrous magnesium sulfate and filtering, the solution was removed in vacuo. To the resulting oil was added hexane (approx. 1 L) and the mixture warmed to 60° C. with swirling. After cooling to room temperature, the solids were collected and washed with 2 L of hexane. The resulting solid was recrystallized from hot ethyl acetate and hexane to afford 32.3 g (43% yield) of N-benzyloxycarbonyl-3(S)-amino-1-chloro-4-phenyl-2(S)-butanol, mp 150°-151° C. and M+Li+ =340. formula: ##STR49##
