Methanol → (R)-(-)-2-(1-Isobutoxyethoxy)-1-propanol

1.0 g (0.024 mole) of sodium borohydride was suspended at room temperature in a solution of 5.0 g (0.02 mole) of isobutyl (R)-(+)-2-(1-isobutoxyethoxy)propionate dissolved in 20 ml of toluene. Thereto was dropwise added slowly 7.0 ml (0.12 mole) of methanol with stirring, so that the internal temperature of the reaction system could be kept at 40° C. After the completion of the dropwise addition, the resulting mixture was stirred at 40° C. for 7 hours, at room temperature overnight and at 60° C. for 2 hours to give rise to a reaction. To the reaction mixture was added 20 ml of water, followed by stirring for 0.5 hour. The organic layer was separated. The water layer was subjected to extraction with 20 ml of toluene. The two organic layers were combined and washed with 20 ml of water and 20 ml of a saturated aqueous sodium chloride solution in this order. The washed solution was dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate and then subjected to vacuum distillation to remove the solvent, whereby was obtained 3.0 g (yield: 84.4%) of an oily title compound (diastereomixture).