A facile and efficient synthesis of optically active α-methoxyaryl acetic acids (up to 95% ee), α-methoxyaryl ethanols (up to 93% ee) and α-methoxyaryl acetonitriles (up to 93% ee) was achieved via Arthrobacter sp. lipase-catalyzed kinetic resolution of masked aldehydes as the key synthons, that is, α-hydroxyaryl acetaldehyde acetals.
