Patent ID: 8044245

Claim:
A method for preparing an optically active 2-sulfonyloxy-1-phenylethanol derivative of formula (II), comprising i) reacting (pentamethylcyclopentadienyl)rhodium(III) chloride dimer ([Rh(C 5 Me 5 )Cl 2 ] 2 ) with optically active 1,2-diphenylethylene-N-(p-toluenesulfonyl)diamine in methylene chloride as a solvent and optionally in the presence of triethylamine, and removing the solvent from the reaction product to obtain a rhodium compound having pentamethylcyclopentadienyl group; and ii) subjecting an α-sulfonyloxy acetophenone compound to asymmetrical reduction in the presence of the rhodium compound having pentamethylcyclopentadienyl group as a catalyst and a hydrogen donor: wherein, X is tosyloxy or mesyloxy; R is one or more substituents, each independently, selected from the group consisting of H, F, Cl, Br, OH, OMe, OBn, OAc, OTBS, OTs, NH 2 , NHBn, NHBz, NHTBS, NHMs, N(Ac) 2 , N(Ms) 2 , NO 2 , CF 3 , Me, tert-Bu and CH 2 OMe, substituted in the ortho-, metha- or para-position of the phenyl moiety, the substituents being optionally fused together to form a benzene, dioxane or dioxolane ring, wherein Me=methyl, Bn=benzyl, Bu=butyl, Bz=benzoyl, TBS=tert-butyldimethylsilyl, Ms=mesyl, Ac=acetyl, and Ts=tosyl.