Abstract:The acid-catalyzed ring-opening of methyl (+)-(1'R, 2R) and (-)-(1'R, 2S)-1-(2-phenylethanol) aziridine-2-carboxylates (1) and (2) lead quantitatively to the corresponding 2(S)-(-)-chloro-3-[2'-hydroxy-1'(R)-phenyl-ethylamino] propionic acid methyl ester (3) and 2(R)-(-)-chloro-3-[2'-hydroxy-1'(R)-phenyl-ethylamino] propionic acid methyl ester (4) hydrochlorides.