Abstract: Reaction of potassium phthalimide and ethyl α-bromocarboxylates under solid-liquid phase-transfer conditions, using chiral ammonium quaternary salts as phase transfer catalyst, affords twelve optically active 2-phthalimido-esters. The N-substituted phthalimide by hydrazinolysis, the resulting esters of amino acids can readily be hydrolyzed to the corresponding optically active amino acids with optical yield 3.6-17.8%.