Patent ID: 7626034

Claim:
A process for producing an optically active β-amino acid derivative of the formula (2-2): wherein R 1 is an optionally substituted hydrocarbon group or an optionally substituted heterocyclic group; R 3 is an optionally substituted alkoxy group, an optionally substituted aryloxy group, an optionally substituted aralkyloxy group, hydroxy, —NR a R b (R a and R b are each independently a hydrogen atom, an optionally substituted hydrocarbon group, an optionally substituted acyl group, —SO 2 A 1 (A 1 is an optionally substituted hydrocarbon group or a substituted amino group), —COOR c (R c is an optionally substituted hydrocarbon group)), or an optionally substituted heterocyclic group; R 11 is a hydrogen atom, an optionally substituted hydrocarbon group, an optionally substituted alkoxy group, an optionally substituted aryloxy group, an optionally substituted aralkyloxy group or hydroxyl, wherein when R 11 is an optionally substituted hydrocarbon group, an optionally substituted alkoxy group, an optionally substituted aryloxy group, an optionally substituted aralkyloxy group or hydroxyl, the carbon atom to which R 11 is attached is chiral; R 1 and R 11 , R 11 and R 3 , or R 3 and R 1 , taken together, may form a ring; X′ is an acid; b is 1; and * is a chiral carbon atom, which comprises reacting a β-keto acid derivative of the formula (1-1: wherein R 1 , R 11 and R 3 have each the same meaning as defined above, with an ammonium salt in the presence of a chiral catalyst and hydrogen; the ammonium salt is represented by the formula (3): NH 3 .aX′ (3) wherein X′ has the same meaning as defined above; and a is 1.