Patent ID: 7294744

Claim:
A process for preparing chiral 3-hydroxy-3-phenyl-propylamine of formula I, wherein R 1 denotes H, —C 1-6 -alkyl or —C 7-18 -aralkyl; R 2 denotes H, —C 1-6 -alkyl or —C 7-18 -aralkyl; R 3 denotes H, —C 1-6 -alkyl, —OH, —O—C 1-6 -alkyl, —O—C 7-18 -aralkyl, —OOC—C 1-6 -alkyl, —OOC-aryl or halogen; or an acid addition salt thereof, starting from 1-amino-3-(phenyl)-propan-3-one of formula II, wherein R 1 , R 2 , and R 3 are as hereinbefore defined, or an acid addition salt thereof, characterised in that the latter is subjected to asymmetrical hydrogenation in the presence of a catalyst system consisting of rhodium and chiral 4-(dicyclohexyl-phosphino)-2-(diphenylphosphino-methyl)-N-methyl-aminocarbonyl-pyrrolidine, optionally an inert diluent containing water and a weak base.