 The enantioselective synthesis was accomplished by J. K. Whitesell by adding "Pseudomonas fluorescens" lipase to racemic "trans"-2-phenylcyclohexyl chloroacetate.This enzyme is able to hydrolyze the ester bond of the (−)-enantiomer but not the (+)-enantiomer.The (−)-cyclohexanol and the (+)-ester are separated by fractional crystallization and the isolated (+)-ester hydrolyzed to the (+)-cyclohexanol in a separate step.