The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 09, 1990
Filed:
Nov. 16, 1987
Hidemasa Takaya, Aichi, JP;
Tetsuo Ohta, Aichi, JP;
Ryoji Noyori, Aichi, JP;
Noboru Sayo, Kanagawa, JP;
Hidenori Kumobayashi, Kanagawa, JP;
Susumu Akutagawa, Kanagawa, JP;
Takasago International Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
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.