Patent ID: 8222452

Claim:
A method for producing a chiral amine represented by the formula [II]: wherein R 1 represents a hydrogen atom, an optionally substituted alkyl group, an optionally substituted aryl group, an optionally substituted aralkyl group, an optionally substituted cycloalkyl group or an optionally substituted heteroaryl group, and R 2 represents an optionally substituted alkyl group, an optionally substituted aralkyl group, an optionally substituted cycloalkyl group, a carboxyl group, an esterified carboxyl group, a cyano group or an amide group, or R 1 and R 2 together with the adjacent carbon atoms may form a ring by binding to each other at the ends thereof; R 3 represents a hydrogen atom, an optionally substituted alkyl group, an optionally substituted aryl group, an optionally substituted aralkyl group, an optionally substituted heteroaryl group or an optionally substituted cycloalkyl group, or R 2 and R 3 together with the adjacent group —NH—C— may form a nitrogen containing heterocycle optionally having a substituent; and the symbol “*” represents a chiral carbon atom, comprising subjecting an imine compound represented by the formula [I]: wherein R 1 , R 2 and R 3 have the same meanings as defined above, or R 2 and R 3 together with the adjacent group —N═C— may form a nitrogen containing heterocycle optionally having a substituent, to asymmetric transfer hydrogenation in the presence of formic acid, and an iridium(III) complex having a chiral prolinamide compound represented by the formula [VIII]: wherein R 8 represents a hydrogen atom or a heteroaryl group which may optionally be substituted, and the symbol “*” represents a chiral carbon atom, as a ligand.