To simply and efficiently obtain an optically active fluorine containing hydroxy compound which is useful as an intermediate for medicines and the like in high yield of asymmetric reduction by hydrogenating a readily available fluorine-containing ketone compound in the presence of a heterogeneous catalyst.
(A) A fluorine containing ketone compound of the formula; CHnF3-n-CO-R (n is 0, 1, 2; R is an alkyl, a haloalkyl, an acyl, an aralkyl, an aryl) is hydrogenated in the presence of (B) a nickel catalyst supporting an optically active compound to give (C) an optically active fluorine-containing hydroxy compound of the formula: CHnF3-n-CH*H(OH)-R. The component B preferably carries an optically active hydroxy acid or amino acid, particularly optically active tartaric acid. The amount of the optically active compound to be carried by the nickel; catalyst ids preferably 0.3-3 times the weight of the nickel component in the nickel catalyst.
ASAI TOMOYUKI
KUMAI SEISAKU
