Claims
- 1. A process for the preparation of an optically active 4-methyl-2-oxetanone, which comprises the asymmetric hydrogenation of 4-methylene-2-oxetanone in the presence of as a catalyst a ruthenium-iodo-optically active phosphine complex represented by the following general formula (1):
- Ru--I.sub.2 -(R.sup.1 -BINAP) (1)
- wherein R.sup.1 -BINAP represents an optically active tertiary phosphine represented by the following general formula (2): ##STR4## wherein R.sup.1 represents an aryl group which may have a substituent selected from the group consisting of a C.sub.1-4 lower alkyl group, a C.sub.1-4 lower alkoxy group, a C.sub.1-4 lower alkylamino group, and a halogen atom or a C.sub.3-8 cycloalkyl group.
- 2. The process for the preparation of an optically active 4-methyl-2-oxetanone according to claim 1, wherein said ruthenium-iodo-optically active phosphine complex is obtained by any one of the following three preparation processes (A)-(C):
- (A) a process which comprises allowing a ruthenium-optically active phosphine complex represented by the following general formula (3):
- RuI(arene)(R.sup.1 -BINAP)]I (3)
- wherein (arene) represents a hydrocarbon having benzene ring: and R'-BINAP is as earlier defined: to undergo reaction in a polar solvent;
- (B) a process which comprises allowing an optically active phosphine represented by the following general formula (4):
- [RuI.sub.2 (arene)].sub.2 ( 4)
- wherein (arene) represents a hydrocarbon having benzene ring and the optically active tertiary phosphine represented by the general formula (2) to undergo reaction in a polar solvent; or
- (C) a process which comprises allowing a ruthenium-optically active phosphine complex represented by the following general formula (5):
- Ru(R.sup.2 COO).sub.2 (R.sup.1 -BINAP) (5)
- wherein R.sup.2 represents a hydrogen atom, a lower alkyl group, a halogenated lower alkyl group or an aryl group which may have a lower alkyl substituent, and R.sup.1 -BINAP is as earlier defined;
- to undergo reaction with hydroborofluoric acid and an inorganic iodide.
- 3. The process for the preparation of an optically active 4-methyl-2-oxetanone according to claim 1, wherein said ruthenium-iodo-optically active phosphine complex shows one or two doublets within a 8 range of from -1 to 12 ppm and one or two doublets within a .delta. range of from 66 to 81 ppm when subjected to .sup.31 P-NMR.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
8-311211 |
Nov 1996 |
JPX |
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Parent Case Info
This is a divisional of application Ser. No. 08/963,619 filed Nov. 4, 1997.
US Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Name |
Date |
Kind |
5412109 |
Takaya et al. |
May 1995 |
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Divisions (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
963619 |
Nov 1997 |
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