Patent ID: 7816107

Claim:
A process for preparing optically active 2-methylalkan-1-ol of the general formula (III) comprising the steps of: (i) carbonyl-selectively reducing 2-methylalk-2-en-1-al of the general formula (I) to 2-methylalk-2-en-1-ol of the general formula (II) (ii) enantioselectively hydrogenating the 2-methylalk-2-en-1-ol of the general formula (II) to the optically active 2-methylalkan-1-ol of the general formula (III) in the presence of a transition metal complex catalyst comprising a phosphorus-containing chiral compound of formula (IV) as a ligand wherein R1, R2, R3, and R4, identically or differently, are substituted or unsubstituted aryl, heteroaryl, alkyl, or cycloalkyl; and R5, R5′, R6, R6′, R7, R7′, R8, and R8′, identically or differently, are H, halogen, alkyl, aryl, alkoxy, amino, or thio; and wherein said phosphorus-containing chiral compound of formula (IV) possesses the ability to develop atropisomerism in relation to two aryl or hetaryl systems; (iii) increasing the optical yield of the optically active 2-methylalkan-1-ol (III) obtained in step (ii) by subjecting it to a lipase-catalyzed acylation reaction; wherein R is C 1 to C 10 alkyl.