Patent ID: 7893296

Claim:
A method for producing an optically active β-amino acid derivative of formula (2), wherein b is 0 or 1; the symbol * shows that the carbon atom is a chiral carbon; R 1 is an alkyl group, a substituted alkyl group, a cycloalkyl group, a substituted cycloalkyl group, an aralkyl group, a substituted aralkyl group, an aryl group, a substituted aryl group, an aliphatic heterocyclic group, a substituted aliphatic heterocyclic group, an aromatic heterocyclic group, a substituted aromatic heterocyclic group, an alkoxy group, a substituted alkoxy group, an aralkyloxy group, a substituted aralkyloxy group, an aryloxy group or a substituted aryloxy group; R 2 is a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, a substituted alkyl group, a cycloalkyl group, a substituted cycloalkyl group, an aralkyl group, a substituted aralkyl group, an aryl group, a substituted aryl group, an aliphatic heterocyclic group, a substituted aliphatic heterocyclic group, an aromatic heterocyclic group, a substituted aromatic heterocyclic group, an alkoxy group, a substituted alkoxy group, an aralkyloxy group, a substituted aralkyloxy group, an aryloxy group, a substituted aryloxy group, an alkyloxycarbonyl group or an aralkyloxycarbonyl group; R 3 is an alkoxy group, a substituted alkoxy group, an aralkyloxy group, a substituted aralkyloxy group, an aryloxy group, a substituted aryloxy group, an amino group or a substituted amino group; X′ is an acid, provided that at least one of R 1 and R 2 is an aliphatic heterocyclic group, a substituted aliphatic heterocyclic group, an aromatic heterocyclic group or a substituted aromatic heterocyclic group, except for a thienyl group; or R 1 and R 2 or R 2 and R 3 may be combined together to form an aliphatic heterocyclic ring, and wherein when R 2 is a hydrogen atom, the carbon atom to which R 2 bonds is not a chiral carbon, which comprises contacting an enamine of formula (1): wherein R 1 , R 2 , R 3 and X′ have the same meanings as described above, and a is 0 or 1, with hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst for an asymmetric hydrogenation; wherein, when a is 0, the contacting of the enamine of formula (1) with hydrogen is carried out in the presence of an acid and/or a fluorine-containing aliphatic alcohol.