The commonly used method involves the reaction of 2,4-difluorobenzaldehyde with ethylene glycol in the presence of a catalyst, followed by the addition of ammonium chloride and hydrochloric acid to obtain (S)-2-Amino-2-(2,4-difluorophenyl)ethan-1-ol hydrochloride. This method has shown good efficiency and yield, with the advantage of using readily available starting materials.
