Takasago International Corporation

Kaneka Corporation

Izuru Nagasaki

Hideo Shimizu

Takao Saito

Kenji Inoue

Ryoji Noyori

Takaji Matsumoto

Susumu Saito

Hirofumi Maeda

Disclosed is a method for producing an alcohol from a lactone or a carboxylic acid ester, which enables to produce an alcohol from a lactone or a carboxylic acid ester under relatively mild conditions with high yield and high catalytic efficiency. This method also enables to produce an optically active alcohol from an optically active lactone or an optically active carboxylic acid ester. Specifically disclosed is a method for producing an alcohol by hydrogen reducing a lactone or a carboxylic acid ester in the presence of a catalyst containing ruthenium and a phosphine compound represented by the following general formula (1): wherein Rrepresents a spacer; R, R, R, R, Rand Rindependently represent a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having 1-12 carbon atoms, an aryl group or a heterocyclic group; and R, R, R, R, Rand Rindependently represent an alkyl group having 1-12 carbon atoms, an aryl group or a heterocyclic group.

Method for producing alcohol by hydrogenating lactone and carboxylic acid ester in liquid phase

Phosphine compounds represented by the following formula (1): wherein R, R, R, R, R, Rand Rrepresent substituents, and asymmetric synthesis catalysts containing transition metal phosphine complexes with the compounds contained as ligands therein. The novel phosphine compounds according to the present invention are useful especially as ligands in transition metal complexes. The transition metal phosphine complexes are useful as catalysts for asymmetric synthetic reactions. The novel phosphine compounds useful as ligands can be prepared by a relatively economical preparation process. Further, use of these catalysts can afford hydrogenated products with high optically purity and is also extremely useful from the industrial standpoint.

Phosphine compounds, transition metal complexes with the compounds contained as ligands therein, and asymmetric synthesis catalysts containing the complexes

Phosphine compounds represented by the following formula (1):wherein R, R, R, R, R, Rand Rrepresent substituents, and asymmetric synthesis catalysts containing transition metal phosphine complexes with the compounds contained as ligands therein. The novel phosphine compounds according to the present invention are useful especially as ligands in transition metal complexes. The transition metal phosphine complexes are useful as catalysts for asymmetric synthetic reactions. The novel phosphine compounds useful as ligands can be prepared by a relatively economical preparation process. Further, use of these catalysts can afford hydrogenated products with high optically purity and is also extremely useful from the industrial standpoint.

Growing community of inventors

Hiratsuka, Japan

Izuru Nagasaki