Enantiomerically pure beta-phenylalanine analogues from alpha-beta-phenylalanine mixtures in a single reactive extraction step.

An efficient and selective method for the extraction of alpha-amino acids in preference over their beta-isomers using PdCl(2)(PPh(3))(2) was discovered, which enables the separation of product mixtures obtained in the enantioselective enzymatic formation of beta-amino acids.