A series of 17 ring-mono and-disubstituted D-phenylglycine derivatives was prepared in high enantiomeric purity by enzymatic hydrolysis and deracemisation of the corresponding DL-hydantoins, using D-hydantoinase activities of microorganisms or purified enzymes, followed by diazotation of the resulting N-carbamyl D-amino acids. No significant L- hydantoinase activity was found to produce the corresponding L-enantiomers.
