Patent ID: 7256305

Claim:
A process for preparation of a β-hydroxyester which comprises reacting an epoxide, an alcohol and carbon monoxide in the presence of a cobalt carbonyl compound as catalyst, and as co-catalyst, a pyridine derivative having an amino substituent group represented by the following formula (1), wherein R 1 and R 2 are independently hydrogen atom, formyl group, acyl group, alkoxycarbonyl group, substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, substituted or unsubstituted aralkyl group, substituted or unsubstituted aryl group, or R 1 and R 2 may be taken together with the adjacent nitrogen atom to form a ring, and n is an integer of 1, the amino substituent group is at position 4 of the pyridine ring, and said pyridine ring is unsubstituted or substituted by C1 to 6 alkyl group or may be fused at its positions 2 and 3 with a benzene ring.