The present invention is concerned with the preparation of N-substituted vicinal aminoalcohol derivatives from the corresponding hydroxyl-protected cyanohydrin derivatives by successive partial reduction, transimination using a primary amine, reduction of the resulting imine and optional removal of the hydroxyl-protecting group. The products are obtained either as a racemate or in an optically pure form, depending upon the stereochemical composition of the starting cyanohydrin derivatives.
The present invention is also concerned with certain new enantiomerically pure hydroxyl-protected vicinal aminoalcohols.