Patent ID: 7030280

Claim:
A process for producing an optically active β-trifluoromethyl-β-hydroxycarbonyl compound represented by formula (3): wherein R 1 represents a hydrogen atom, a lower alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms or a hydroxyl group, R 2 represents a hydrogen atom, a lower alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms or an aryl group, or R 1 and R 2 may be covalently bonded to form a cyclic ketone, and the symbol * represents an asymmetric carbon, the process comprising a step of reacting a fluoral equivalent represented by formula (1): wherein R represents a hydrogen atom, a lower alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms or a lower haloalkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, with a carbonyl compound represented by formula (2): wherein R 1 and R 2 each have the same meaning as those defined in formula (3), in the presence of an optically active amino acid or a derivative thereof.