NEW OPTICALLY ACTIVE COBALT (II) COMPLEX AND PRODUCTION OF OPTICALLY ACTIVE ALCOHOL

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To realize a method for producing an optically active alcohol useful as a synthetic intermediate for medicines, agrochemicals, etc., or as a raw material for liquid crystals, fine chemicals, etc., by using an easily handleable hydrid reducing agent in the presence of a new catalyst. ;SOLUTION: A ketone compound is reacted with a hydrid reagent in the presence of an optically active metal compound and preferably further in the presence of an alcohol compound to obtain the objective optically active alcohol. The objective optically active metal compound is preferably an optically active cobalt (II) complex of formula I (R¹, R² are each H, an alkyl, an aryl; R¹ and R¹ may together form a ring, and R² and R² may also together form a ring; R³ and R⁴ are each H, an alkyl, an aryl, an acyl, an alkoxycarbonhyl), such as a compound of formula II or a compound of formula III. The compound of formula I is obtained e.g. by formylating a 1,3,-diketone derivative, subjecting the product to a dehydrative condensation reaction with a 1,2-diphenyldiamine derivative (optically active diamine) as an asymmetric source to form ligands, adding a cobalt (II) dichloride aqueous solution in the presence of NaOH and subsequently heating the mixture.;COPYRIGHT: (C)1997,JPO