PURPOSE: To efficiently obtain esp. under mild conditions the compound useful as an intermediate for various kinds of physiologically active compounds.
CONSTITUTION: The optically active 3-phenyl-3-hydroxypropionic ester of formula III can be obtained by reducing a benzoyl acetate of formula I (R is a 1-5C alkyl) with a reducing agent (pref. boron) in the presence of an optically active oxaborolidine of formula II (Pk is phenyl; R' is methyl or H). Use of the compound of the formula II with its configuration being S-configuration can produce the compound as R-modification; while, use of the compound of the formula II with its configuration being R-configuration can produce the compound as S-modification. This method, which is not a method for racemic modification to be put to optical resolution, can produce the compound at the theoretical yield of 100%, having such advantages that the reaction proceeds adequately at room temperature and the substrate concentration can be raised in the reaction.
SUGIURA MITSUYO
KOIZUMI YASUYUKI
YOSHIDA NAOYUKI
