Patent ID: 6903233

Claim:
A process for producing an optically active 3-azide-carboxylic acid ester comprising reacting an optically active 3-hydroxycarboxylic acid ester represented by the following formula (I); (wherein R 1 is alkyl, substituted alkyl, aralkyl or substituted aralkyl; R 2 is lower alkyl; and * is an asymmetric carbon) with a thionyl halide in the presence of a basic substance in an organic solvent to produce an optically active 3-halogenocarboxylic acid ester represented by the following formula (II); (wherein X is halogen, and R 1 , R 2 and * are as defined above); and the optically active 3-halogenocarboxylic acid ester represented by the formula (II) is reacted with an azide salt represented by the formula: MN 3 (wherein M is alkaline metal) in an aqueous solvent to produce an optically active 3-azide-carboxylic acid ester represented by the following formula (III); (wherein R 1 , R 2 and * are as defined above).