Patent ID: 6998495

Claim:
A method for producing an optically active 3,5-dihydroxyhexanoic acid derivative represented by formula (1): (wherein R 1 is C 1 –C 10 alkyl, C 7 –C 20 aralkyl, or C 6 –C 20 aryl, and R is wherein R 2 is C 1 –C 10 alkyl, C 7 –C 20 aralkyl, or C 6 –C 20 aryl; R 3 s are each independently C 1 –C 10 alkyl, C 7 –C 20 aralkyl, or C 6 –C 20 aryl, or together form C 1 –C 10 alkylene; and R 4 is C 1 –C 10 alkyl, C 7 –C 20 aralkyl, or C 6 –C 20 aryl), the method including a step of conducting asymmetric hydrogenation of an optically active 3-oxo-5-hydroxyhexanoic acid derivative represented by formula (2) in the presence of a ruthenium-optically active phosphine complex as a catalyst: (wherein R and R 1 are the same as described above).