Patent ID: 7271280

Claim:
A process for preparing an optically active biaryl compound of the formula below: wherein R* is the same or different and represents a substituent having at least one asymmetric carbon, R 3 is a substituted or unsubstituted aryl or heteroaryl group, n 1 is an integer of 1 to 5, n 2 is 0, and R 2 is absent, which comprises reacting an aromatic sulfonic acid ester compound of the formula (1): wherein R 1 is a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl or aryl group, and R 2 , R*, n 1 , and n 2 are as defined hereinabove, provided that R 1 is not a trifluoromethyl group, a nonafluorobutyl group or a pentafluorophenyl group, with an organic boron compound of the formula (2): wherein R 3 is as defined above, and Q 1 and Q 2 are the same or different and each is a hydroxyl group, or an alkoxy group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms; or Q 1 and Q 2 are taken together to form an alkylenedioxy group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms or 1,2-phenylenedioxy group, which is optionally substituted with an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, or a boroxine ring compound of the formula (3): wherein R 3 is as defined hereinabove, or a mixture of compounds of the formula (2) and the formula (3), at 70° C. or below in the presence of a nickel catalyst and a base.