A method is provided for producing optically active alcohols from ketones by reducing a ketone in the presence of an iridium(III) complex having a chiral prolinamide compound as a ligand. The ketone is preferably a compound represented by formula [I]:
(wherein R
1
and R
2
are different from each other, and each represent an optionally substituted straight or branched alkyl group, an optionally substituted cycloalkyl group, an optionally substituted aryl group, an optionally substituted heteroaryl group, an optionally substituted aralkyl group, an optionally substituted heteroarylalkyl group, an optionally substituted alkenyl group or an optionally substituted alkynyl group, and
R
1
and R
2
may be bound to each other at any appropriate position to form a ring, the ring optionally containing one or more atoms which may be the same or different and are selected from an oxygen atom, an optionally substituted nitrogen atom and a sulfur atom, and optionally being condensed with an aromatic or hetero-aromatic ring).
本发明提供了一种通过在具有手性脯
氨酰胺化合物作为
配体的
铱(III)络合物存在下还原酮来制备光学活性醇的方法。所述酮优选为由公式[I]表示的化合物:(其中R1和R2不同,每个表示可选取代的直链或支链烷基、可选取代的环烷基、可选取代的芳基、可选取代的杂芳基、可选取代的芳基烷基、可选取代的杂芳基烷基、可选取代的烯基或可选取代的炔基,R1和R2可以在任何适当的位置结合形成环,所述环可选包含一个或多个原子,所述原子可以相同或不同,所述原子选自氧原子、可选取代的氮原子和
硫原子,并且可选与芳香或杂芳香环融合)。