Patent ID: 7038087

Claim:
A process for the production of an optically active amino alcohol represented by the following formula (I) (wherein, R 2 , R 3 , R 4 and R 5 each independently is a hydrogen atom, a lower alkyl group or an optionally-substituted phenyl group; R 2 or R 3 may be bonded to R 4 or R 5 forming a ring together with the adjacent carbon atoms; A 1 is —(CH 2 ) m — while A 2 is —(CH 2 ) n — (where m and n each is an integer of 0 to 3 and m+n is 1 to 3); * is an asymmetric carbon atom where the relative configuration of hydroxyl group to amino group on each of the asymmetric carbons marked * is trans) or a salt thereof, comprising reacting an optically active hydroxycarboxylate represented by the following formula (IV) (wherein, R 1 is an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon(s); R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , A 1 , A 2 , m, n and * have the same meanings as defined above where the relative configuration of hydroxyl group to alkoxycarbonyl group on each of the asymmetric carbons marked * is trans) with hydrazine to prepare an optically-active hydroxycarboxylic hydrazide compound represented by the following formula (III) (wherein, R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , A 1 , A 2 , m, n and * have the same meanings as defined above where the relative configuration of hydroxyl group to hydrazinocarbonyl group on each of the asymmetric carbons marked * is trans), then conducting a Curtius reaction in the presence of an alcohol represented by the following formula (VI) R 6 OH (VI) (wherein, R 6 is an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon(s) or an optionally-substituted benzyl group) to give an optically active alkoxycarbonylamino alcohol represented by the following formula (II) (wherein, R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , A 1 , A 2 , m, n and * have the same meanings as defined above where the relative configuration of hydroxyl group to alkoxycarbonylamino group on each of the asymmetric carbons marked * is trans) and then deprotecting a protective group for the amino group.