申请人:Takasago International Corporation
公开号:US04962230A1
公开(公告)日:1990-10-09
A process for producing an optically active carboxylic acid represented by formula (I): ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1, and R.sup.2, and R.sup.3 each represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, an alkenyl group, or a phenyl or naphthyl group which may have a substituent, provided that all of R.sup.1, R.sup.2, and R.sup.3 are not simultaneously a hydrogen atom; when R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are simultaneously a hydrogen atom, then R.sup.3 is not a methyl group; and that when R.sup.3 is a hydrogen atom, then R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are each a group other then a hydrogen atom, is disclosed, comprising asymmetrically hydrogenating an .alpha.,.beta.-unsaturated carboxylic acid represented by formula (II): ##STR2## wherein R.sup.1, R.sup.2, and R.sup.3 are the same as defined above, in the presence of a ruthenium-optically active phosphine complex as a catalyst. According to the process of the invention, the desired optically active carboxylic acids which can be widely used as raw materials for synthesizing various useful compounds, for example, as intermediates for synthesizing physiologically active substances of natural materials and also as liquid crystal materials can be industrially advantageously produced.
本发明涉及一种制备光学活性羧酸的方法,该羧酸由式(I)表示:##STR1##其中R.sup.1、R.sup.2和R.sup.3分别表示氢原子、烷基、烯基、苯基或萘基,这些基团可以有取代基,但要求R.sup.1、R.sup.2和R.sup.3中的所有基团不同时为氢原子;当R.sup.1和R.sup.2同时为氢原子时,R.sup.3不是甲基基团;当R.sup.3为氢原子时,R.sup.1和R.sup.2均为非氢基团。该方法包括在钌-光学活性膦配合物催化剂的存在下不对称氢化式(II)表示的α,β-不饱和羧酸:##STR2##其中R.sup.1、R.sup.2和R.sup.3与上述定义相同。根据本发明的方法,所需的光学活性羧酸可以被工业上优越地生产,这些羧酸可以广泛用作合成各种有用化合物的原材料,例如合成天然物质的生理活性物质的中间体以及液晶材料。