Solid (R)-phenylglycinol (2.0 g, 14.5 mmol) and phthalic anhydride (2.16 g, 14.5 mmol) were heated with stirring to 145°C for 4 h. The obtained yellow oil was dissolved in DCM (50 ml) and the solution was dried over anhydrous sodium sulphate. The solvent was then removed under reduced pressure and the product was used in the subsequent step without further purification. Yield 3.7 g (95%).

¹H NMR (400 MHz, 298 K, CDCl₃) δ_H 7.83 – 7.74 (2H, m, Pht), 7.70 – 7.60 (2H, m, Pht), 7.49 (2H, d, ³J_HH = 7.4 Hz, Ph), 7.41 – 7.23 (3H, m, Ph), 5.51 (1H, dd, ³J_HH = 8.9 Hz, ³J_HH = 5.0 Hz, CH), 4.76 – 4.66 (1H, m, CH₂), 4.24 (1H, dd, ³J_HH = 11.4 Hz, ⁴J_HH = 4.9 Hz, CH₂), 3.47 (1H, s, OH).

¹³C NMR (100 MHz, 298 K, CDCl₃) δ_C 168.89 (C=O), 136.88, 134.08 (Pht), 131.72, 128.70, 128.13, 127.97 (Ph), 123.31 (Pht), 61.98 (CH₂), 57.46 (CH).

MS (ESI⁺) m/z 290.1 ([M+Na]⁺)

IR (cm^-1) ν 3457, 1772, 1700, 1611, 1585, 1495, 1467, 1388, 1358, 1332, 1288, 1266, 1185, 1172, 1120, 1065, 1040, 1013, 999, 962, 919, 877, 838, 793, 765, 719, 698.