Patent ID: 7351849

Claim:
A process for producing an optically active β-amino acid derivative of the formula (2): wherein R 1 and R 2 are each independently a hydrogen atom, a hydrocarbon group which may be substituted, an acyl group which may be substituted, an alkoxycarbonyl, group which may be substituted, an aryloxycarbonyl group which may be substituted, an aralkyloxycarbonyl group which may be substituted, an alkoxy group which may be substituted, an aryloxy group which may be substituted, an aralkyloxy group which may be substituted and a heterocyclic group which may be substituted; R 3 is a hydrogen atom, an alkoxy group which may be substituted, an aryloxy group which may be substituted, an aralkyloxy group which may be substituted, a hydroxy group and a hydrocarbon group which may be substituted; R 4 is an alkoxy group which may be substituted, an aryloxy group which may be substituted, an aralkyloxy group which may be substituted, a hydroxy group, —NR a R b [wherein R a and R b are each independently a hydrogen atom, a hydrocarbon group which may be substituted and an acyl group which may be substituted, —SO 2 A 1 (wherein A 1 is a hydrocarbon group which may be substituted or a substituted amino group), or —COOR c (R c is a hydrocarbon group which may be substituted)] or a heterocyclic group which may be substituted, and R 1 and R 2 , or R 2 and R 3 each may combine to form a ring; with the proviso that when R 1 =R 2 , then R 3 is a hydrocarbon group which may be substituted; Q is a group formed by removing a hydrogen atom from an amine; and * indicates an asymmetric carbon atom; or a salt thereof, which comprises reacting an α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acid derivative of the formula (1): wherein R 1 to R 4 are each the same as mentioned above, with an amine or a salt thereof, in the presence of a chiral catalyst and in the presence of an acid.