A facile and practical synthesis of enantiomerically pure (L) or (D)-threo-
Ifenprodil was accomplished from (1S, 2S)- and (1R, 2R)-threo-1-(p-nitrophe
nyl)-2-amino-propan-1 3-diol via 3-phenylthio derivatives followed by Raney
nickel reduction and conversion of the aromatic amine into phenol.