Efficient methods have been developed for the synthesis of three active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) carbamazepine (Tegretol (R)) 1, oxcarbazepine (Trileptal (R)) 2, and eslicarbazepine acetate (Exalief (R)) 3 by employing enantioselective reduction and carboxamidation reaction. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.