Enantiomerically enriched 2-butanol

Process for preparing enantiomerically enriched 2-butanol, comprising reducing enantiomerically enriched 1,2-epoxybutane with hydrogen in the presence of palladium compounds and a vicinal diamine wherein the palladium compounds are compounds selected from the group consisting of formula (Ia) and formula (Ib)

• M2[Pd(Hal)4] (Ia),
• Pd(Hal)2 (Ib)
• in which
• M is lithium, sodium, potassium, ammonium or organic ammonium and
• Hal is chloride, bromide or iodide
• wherein the palladium compounds are formed by reacting formula (Ia) and/or formula (Ib) with hydroxide in the presence of a support thereby forming a resulting product wherein the resultingnroduct com rises the palladium compound applied to the support, and
• wherein the resulting product and the vicinal diamine are added directly to the enantiomerically enriched 1,2-epoxybutane.